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Glite Dictionary
to protect nature

to protect nature

1 2.6
Take action to stop harm to trees, rivers, and animals
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : proteger la naturaleza
  • Faced with increasing resource constraints, severe environmental pollution, and a deteriorating ecosystem, we must raise our ecological awareness of the need to respect, accommodate, and protect nature.

We have to get it with climate change and realize that by protecting nature, recovery is possible.

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Examples

  • We have to get it with climate change and realize that by protecting nature, recovery is possible.

    Rich Roll

  • Acknowledge up front the various motivations for protecting nature.

    Academic text (2012)

  • For most of the intervening time, however, it has seemed sufficient only to conserve and protect nature.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Collective defense and regional development were downplayed in the new draft, and cooperation in protecting nature in the basin became prominent.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Half of these statutes dealt with protecting nature and combating pollution; the rest concerned governmental administrative tasks, enforcement procedures, and the responsibilities of scientific research and propaganda agencies.

    Academic text (2006)

  • We all have a duty to protect nature for future generations.

  • Community efforts are essential to protect nature from pollution and deforestation.

  • To protect nature, we must reduce our plastic usage and recycle more.

Synonyms

to conserve
vsto protect nature
63 3.4

Protect something from harm or waste by using it carefully

focuses specifically on preventing harm to the natural environment and resources

Antonyms

to exploit
95 4.1

To use resources or chances well to get a good result

Surface Forms

protect infinitive
protected past
protected past participle
protecting present participle
protects third person singular

Morphology

protect + nature

The meaning 'to take action to prevent harm to the natural environment' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'protect' (keep safe) with 'nature' (the natural world). This compositional verb + noun pattern is semantically regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Protect nature comes from a simple picture of putting someone or something between harm and the natural world; protect means to keep safe and nature means plants, animals, and wild places. So, to protect nature today means 'to take action to keep the environment safe from harm'.