conservator

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tor kən-ˈsər-və-tər 

-və-ˌtȯr;

ˈkän(t)-sər-ˌvā-tər

1

a

: one that preserves from injury or violation : protector

b

: one that is responsible for the care, restoration, and repair of archival or museum articles

2

: a person, official, or institution designated to take over and protect the interests of an incompetent

3

: an official charged with the protection of something affecting public welfare and interests

conservatorial

kən-ˌsər-və-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

(ˌ)kän-

adjective

conservatorship

kən-ˈsər-və-tər-ˌship 

-və-ˌtȯr-;

ˈkän(t)-sər-ˌvā-tər-

noun

Examples of conservator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Corrine Long, a painting conservator who works with Pocobene, said one of the challenges in restoring the angels was removing seven layers of paint without damaging the angels. —Landon Mion, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2024

Corrine Long, a painting conservator who works with Pocobene, said one of the challenges was removing seven layers of paint without damaging the angels. —Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024

In June of that year, a couple of months before his death, Bobbie gave the art conservator and historian Daniel Varney Thompson, a close friend of Greene’s, an envelope. —Hilton Als, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Analysis in the same year by a metal conservator showed the mask was made in two parts, but that was typical of how such masks were constructed. —Harriet Marsden, theweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English conservatour "legal custodian, protector, guardian," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French conservatour, conservator, borrowed from Latin conservātōr-, conservātor "one who preserves, savior" (Medieval Latin, "official custodian, keeper"), from conservāre "to save or keep from danger, preserve" + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at conserve entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Legal Definition

conservator

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tor kən-ˈsər-və-tər, ˈkän-sər-ˌvā- 

1

: a person, official, or institution appointed by a court to take over and manage the estate of an incompetent compare committee, curator, guardian, receiver, tutor

2

: a public official charged with the protection of something affecting public welfare and interests

specifically : an official placed in charge of a bank because its affairs are not in a satisfactory condition

conservatorship noun