Conservator

Alternative forms

• conservatour obsolete

Origin

From Anglo-Norman conservatour, from Latin conservator ("one who conserves"), agent noun from conservo ("I preserve").

Full definition of conservator

Noun

1. One who conserves, preserves or protects something.
• Derhamthe great Creator and Conservator of the world
2. (legal) A person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of another; similar to a guardian but with some powers of a trustee.
• ClarendonThe lords of the secret council were likewise made conservators of the peace of the two kingdoms.
• Bouvierthe conservator of the estate of an idiot
3. An officer in charge of preserving the public peace, such as a justice or sheriff.
4. (Roman Catholicism) A judge delegated by the pope to defend certain privileged classes of persons from manifest or notorious injury or violence, without recourse to a judicial process.
5. A professional who works on the conservation and restoration of objects, particularly artistic objects.

Related terms

• conservatee
• conservation
• conservative

Derived terms

• conservatorial
• conservatorship