conserve
gb/kənsˈɚv/ us/kənsˈɚv/
B2
English
~ 7500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
Use carefully to avoid waste
To use something carefully so that you do not waste it.
Usage pattern:
to conserve [resource]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "conserve" with "preserve." Use "conserve" when you talk about using less of something (conserve water, conserve energy). Use "preserve" more for keeping something in good condition or stopping it from changing (preserve food, preserve a building). Another mistake is saying *"conserve to"*; the verb takes a direct object: "conserve water," not "conserve to water."
Synonyms
save (Very common and slightly broader; used for time, money, and resources in everyday speech.)
|
economize (Stresses reducing spending or use, slightly more formal and often about money.)
Antonyms
waste (Means to use more than needed or use carelessly, the direct opposite of conserving.)
|
squander (Stronger, often emotional word for wasting something valuable in a foolish way.)
Collocations
conserve energy
|conserve water
|conserve electricity
|conserve resources
|conserve fuel
|conserve money
Themes
environment
|energy
|daily life
|economics
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We need to conserve water during the dry season.
- You can conserve energy by turning off lights when you leave a room.
- The new windows help the building conserve heat in winter.
- She tries to conserve fuel by driving less.
- Businesses are looking for ways to conserve resources and cut costs.
Learner examples
- Please conserve water when you take a shower.
- Turn off the TV to conserve electricity.
- We should conserve money and not buy things we do not need.
- Good windows help a house conserve heat.
- The city asks people to conserve gas during the crisis.
Verb
B2
action
2
Protect from damage or loss
To protect nature, animals, or old things so they do not get hurt or destroyed.
Usage pattern:
to conserve [environmental or cultural asset]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "keep" instead of "conserve" in formal or scientific contexts (e.g. *"keep wildlife"*). In environmental or cultural topics, "conserve" or "protect" is more natural: "conserve wildlife," "protect wildlife." Another confusion is between "conserve" and "reserve"; "reserve" usually means to book or keep something for later use, not to protect it from harm.
Synonyms
preserve (Very close in meaning; often used for nature, historic sites, and traditions, with slightly more emphasis on keeping the original state unchanged.)
|
protect (More general; focuses on stopping harm but not always on long-term maintenance like "conserve.")
Antonyms
destroy (Means to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or works, the clear opposite of conserving it.)
|
damage (Means to harm or spoil something, going against the goal of conservation.)
Collocations
conserve wildlife
|conserve biodiversity
|conserve habitats
|conserve historic buildings
|conserve forests
|conserve soil
Themes
environment
|culture
|science
|nature
|animals
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The government introduced new laws to conserve endangered species.
- Local groups are working to conserve the historic town center.
- These wetlands play a key role in conserving biodiversity.
- We must conserve our forests for future generations.
- Careful restoration is needed to conserve the painting's original colors.
Learner examples
- Many people want to conserve the rainforest.
- The museum tries to conserve very old books.
- Volunteers help conserve wildlife in this national park.
- The city plans to conserve old buildings in the center.
- Planting trees can help conserve natural areas.
Verb
technical
C1
action
3
Keep a physical quantity constant
In science, to stay the same in total amount in a system, even when something changes form.
Usage pattern:
to conserve [physical quantity]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "conserve" here means "save" (like saving electricity at home). In physics, "conserve" is not about good behavior; it is about a quantity staying the same total amount in a system. Another mistake is using it actively in odd ways, such as *"we conserve energy in the collision"*; more natural is "energy is conserved in the collision."
Synonyms
maintain (General word meaning to keep something at the same level; in physics "conserve" is the precise technical term.)
Antonyms
dissipate (Used especially with energy to mean spreading out and becoming unavailable, the opposite of being conserved within a system.)
Collocations
conserve momentum
|conserve energy
|conserve mass
|conserve charge
Themes
science
|physics
Examples
- In a closed system, total energy is conserved.
- The experiment demonstrates that angular momentum is conserved during the collision.
- According to this law, electric charge is conserved in all interactions.
- Mass is effectively conserved in most chemical reactions at everyday speeds.
- The model assumes that the system conserves momentum along the horizontal axis.
Learner examples
- In this simple model, energy is conserved.
- The teacher says that momentum is conserved in this crash.
- In many reactions, the total mass is conserved.
- This rule says that charge is conserved in the system.
- The graph shows how energy is conserved over time.
Noun
C1
entity
4
Jam with whole pieces of fruit
A sweet food, like thick jam, made from whole or large pieces of fruit cooked with sugar.
Usage pattern:
[fruit] conserve
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "conserve" as a noun is mainly used in British and some European English, and that "jam" or "preserves" are more common in everyday American English. They also sometimes confuse the noun with the verb and write sentences like *"I conserve on my toast"*; the correct form is "I put conserve on my toast" or "I eat conserve."
Synonyms
preserve (Very close in meaning; often used in food labels like "strawberry preserves," especially in American English.)
|
jam (More general word; does not always suggest large whole pieces of fruit.)
Collocations
orange conserve
|strawberry conserve
|fruit conserve
|homemade conserve
|thick conserve
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- She spread a thick layer of raspberry conserve on her toast.
- The bed and breakfast serves homemade orange conserve for breakfast.
- This conserve has large chunks of fruit and a rich flavor.
- He bought a jar of plum conserve from the local market.
- The recipe calls for apricot conserve instead of fresh fruit.
Learner examples
- I like bread with strawberry conserve in the morning.
- She makes her own orange conserve at home.
- We opened a new jar of fruit conserve for dessert.
- He put some cherry conserve on his yogurt.
- This conserve tastes very sweet and fresh.
Grammar
Dictionary form
conserve
IPA
GB/kənsˈɚv/
US/kənsˈɚv/
Syllables & stress
con - serve (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (serve)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: conserve
- Plural: conserve, conserves
Verb
- Base: conserve
- 3rd Person Singular: conserves
- Present Participle: conserving
- Past: conserved
Word family
Forms
conserves
noun
conserving
verb
conserved
verb
Core family
Related words
conservatively
adverb
Advanced or less common
conservatism
noun B2
conservator
noun
Expressions
conserve energy
1/kənsˈɚv ˈɛnɚd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
Use less power or fuel
To use electricity or fuel carefully so that you do not use more than you need.
Examples
- We turned down the heating to conserve energy.
- The company installed LED lights to conserve energy in the office.
conserve momentum
1/kənsˈɚv moʊmˈɛntəm/
fixed phrase
technical
Keep total momentum constant
In physics, for the total momentum in a system to stay the same, even when objects move or hit each other.
Examples
- In this problem, assume that the collision conserves momentum.
- Because no external force acts, the system conserves momentum.
conserve resources
1/kənsˈɚv ɹˈisɔɹsɪz/
fixed phrase
Use materials or money carefully
To use important things like money, materials, or natural goods carefully so they do not run out.
Examples
- The program helps small businesses conserve resources and reduce waste.
- We must conserve resources if we want a sustainable future.
conserve water
1/kənsˈɚv wˈɔtɚ/
fixed phrase
Use less water
To use water carefully so that you do not waste it.
Examples
- Residents are asked to conserve water during the drought.
- You can conserve water by fixing leaking taps.
conserve wildlife
1/kənsˈɚv wˈaɪldlˌaɪf/
fixed phrase
Protect wild animals and habitats
To protect wild animals and the places where they live so they are not lost.
Examples
- The charity works to conserve wildlife across the region.
- National parks play a key role in conserving wildlife.