Meaning & use
conserve
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To use something carefully so that it lasts or is not wasted.
Grammar: Takes an object: conserve water, conserve energy. Often used about resources like fuel, electricity, or money.
Patterns
- conserve something
- conserve energy
- conserve water
We try to conserve water by taking shorter showers.
The government asked people to conserve fuel during the crisis.
Turning off the lights helps conserve electricity.
verbtransitive
To protect something valuable from damage, loss, or change.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used about nature, art, or history: conserve forests, conserve old buildings.
Patterns
- conserve something
- conserve wildlife
- conserve a building
The charity works to conserve rare birds in the region.
They spent years conserving the ancient wall paintings.
New laws were passed to conserve the coastline.
Word forms
| third person singular | conserves |
|---|---|
| past tense | conserved |
| past participle | conserved |
| -ing form | conserving |
Common combinations
- conserve energy
- Modern buildings are designed to conserve energy.
- conserve water
- Farmers use new methods to conserve water.
- conserve resources
- We must conserve natural resources for future generations.
- conserve wildlife
- The park was created to conserve wildlife.
Synonyms and how they differ
- preserve
- Often means keeping something exactly as it is, especially to prevent decay; conserve stresses careful management of a limited resource.
- save
- More general and informal; you can save money or time, but conserve is used for resources you manage over time.
- protect
- Focuses on keeping something safe from harm, not necessarily on using it carefully.
Opposites
Word family
- conservation noun
- The careful protection of nature, resources, or art.
- conservationist noun
- A person who works to protect the natural environment.
- conservative adjective
- Cautious about change; also a political label.
Commonly confused: conserve or converse?
conserve vs converse
To converse means to talk with someone. Conserve means to use carefully or protect.
Practice
Choose the best sentence with 'conserve'.
Choose one answer.
'Conserve water' means use it carefully so it is not wasted, which fits a drought. Option An is possible but 'preserve' is more natural for keeping photos unchanged; option B is nonsense; option D confuses 'conserve' with 'converse' (to talk).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conserve”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.