Meaning & use
conservationists
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“conservationists” is a form of “conservationist”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
People who work to protect nature, wildlife, or natural resources from damage.
Grammar: Plural form; the singular is 'conservationist'. Takes a plural verb: 'Conservationists are worried.'
Patterns
- conservationists worry about something
- a group of conservationists
- conservationists work to do something
Conservationists are urging the government to protect the wetland.
A team of conservationists counted the nesting turtles along the beach.
Local conservationists planted trees to restore the damaged hillside.
Word forms
| singular | conservationist |
|---|
Common combinations
- a leading conservationist
- She became a leading conservationist after years of studying rare birds.
- wildlife conservationists
- Wildlife conservationists track the elephants by satellite.
- conservationists argue that
- Conservationists argue that the new road will split the forest in two.
- a group of conservationists
- A group of conservationists cleaned the riverbank last weekend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- environmentalist
- Broader and often more political; it can refer to anyone concerned about pollution and climate, not only nature protection.
- ecologist
- This is a scientist who studies ecosystems, while a conservationist may be an activist or a manager rather than a researcher.
Word family
- conservation noun
- The protection and careful management of nature.
- conserve verb
- To protect something from harm or waste.
Commonly confused: conservationists or conservative?
conservationists vs conservative
A conservative is someone who prefers tradition or limited change, especially in politics; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with protecting nature.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Conservationists' is plural, so it goes with 'have collected'. Option A uses a singular verb with a plural noun, B uses 'a' with a plural, and D needs the singular 'a conservationist' after 'as'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conservationists”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.