conservancy

noun

con·​ser·​van·​cy kən-ˈsər-vən(t)-sē How to pronounce conservancy (audio)
plural conservancies
1
British : a board regulating fisheries and navigation in a river or port
2
b
: an organization or area designated to conserve and protect natural resources

Examples of conservancy in a Sentence

The land was recently donated to a local conservancy. raising money for the conservancy of natural resources
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The conservancy currently holds 26 preservation easements on Wright structures. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025 The conservancy protects and advocates for a system of 17 parks and six parkways in Louisville designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, one of only a handful of complete systems in the country. Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 3 July 2025 Government intervention and conservancy efforts have led to a modest rebound over the past 30 years thanks to anti-poaching enforcement and large-scale sanctuaries. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 At wildlife conservancies in Africa, four-legged friends are invigorating efforts to combat poaching. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conservancy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conservancie "act of conserving or keeping safe," borrowed from Medieval Latin conservantia "conservation, office of a conservator," noun derivative of Latin conservant-, conservans, present participle of conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve, keep unchanged" — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conservancy was in 1667

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Cite this Entry

“Conservancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservancy. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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