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

Providentially, they had all been removed by conservators just days before the fire. —Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024

The second phase of Operation Night Watch began this month when eight conservators started stripping away its varnish—clear, protective layers often applied atop paintings. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

While the scans took about four days to complete, the processing and analysis of the 3D renderings may take up to three years, said JP Brown, senior conservator of anthropology at the museum. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 9 Nov. 2024

Before then, Archive 81 follows two story lines: one set in the present day, in which a multimedia conservator is asked to restore a series of old videotapes, and a flashback narrative about the subject of those tapes. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 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