conservancy

noun

con·​ser·​van·​cy kən-ˈsər-vən(t)-sē 

plural conservancies

1

British : a board regulating fisheries and navigation in a river or port

2

a

: conservation

b

: an organization or area designated to conserve and protect natural resources

Synonyms

• conservation
• preservation
• sustentation

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

The conservancy aims to transform 5.5-miles of Detroit riverfront and has already refurbished and opened key portions in recent years. —Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 13 Nov. 2024

But in the decades since its formation, the conservancy has acquired hundreds of plots of land in attempts to create a pristine, undevelopable greenbelt surrounding Cayucos. —Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024

All of the conservancy’s large projects are informed by extensive community engagement, Cofer said; this project arose from feedback that trailgoers wanted more spaces for fishing. —Cross Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 24 June 2024

Outside the pavilion, the Water Lily Court (which exhibits several of Longwood’s 1,200 water lilies) has been enclosed in a ring of columns that transition the historic conservancies made of stone and composite into the contemporary ones of glass and steel. —William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2024

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