conservative

[ kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv ]

adjective

1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low:

   a conservative estimate.

3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness:

   conservative suit.

4. (often initial capital letter) of or relating to the Conservative party.
5. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.
6. having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.
7. Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar.

noun

1. a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.
2. a supporter of conservative political policies.
3. (initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, especially the Conservative party in Great Britain.
4. a preservative.

conservative

¹

/ kənˈsɜːvətɪv /

adjective

1. favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation
2. of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism
3. tending to be moderate or cautious

   a conservative estimate

4. conventional in style or type

   a conservative suit

5. med (of treatment) designed to alleviate symptoms Compare radical
6. physics a field of force, system, etc, in which the work done moving a body from one point to another is independent of the path taken between them

   electrostatic fields of force are conservative

noun

1. a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist
2. a supporter or advocate of conservatism

adjective

1. a less common word for preservative

Conservative

²

/ kənˈsɜːvətɪv /

adjective

1. of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party
2. of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism

noun

1. a supporter or member of a Conservative Party

conservative

1. A descriptive term for persons, policies, and beliefs associated with conservatism .

Derived Forms

• conˈservatively, adverb
• conˈservativeness, noun

Other Words From

• con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• con·serva·tive·ness noun
• anti·con·serva·tive adjective noun
• anti·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• anti·con·serva·tive·ness noun
• half-con·serva·tive adjective
• half-con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• hyper·con·serva·tive adjective noun
• hyper·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• hyper·con·serva·tive·ness noun
• noncon·serva·tive adjective noun
• over·con·serva·tive adjective
• over·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• over·con·serva·tive·ness noun
• pseudo·con·serva·tive adjective
• pseudo·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• quasi-con·serva·tive adjective
• quasi-con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• semi·con·serva·tive adjective
• semi·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• super·con·serva·tive adjective
• super·con·serva·tive·ly adverb
• super·con·serva·tive·ness noun
• uncon·serva·tive adjective
• uncon·serva·tive·ly adverb
• uncon·serva·tive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservative¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Late Latin conservātīvus, equivalent to Latin conservāt(us) ( conservation ) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English conservatif, from Middle French, from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

The interview received widespread backlash from religious conservatives.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Riley's name became a rallying cry for conservatives as border security emerged as a defining issue in the White House race.

From BBC

Seeing how easily Elphaba’s good nature is twisted to fit the agenda of those who seek uniformity and total control is unnervingly parallel to the racist rhetoric so often parroted by conservative mouthpieces.

From Salon

Her absence, coupled with Republican majorities, could allow conservative lawmakers to advance their priorities more aggressively, as well as reshaping the balance of power in future farm policy negotiations.

From Salon

In any contest to name the cruelest and most useless healthcare “reform” favored by Republicans and conservatives, it would be hard to beat the idea of applying work requirements to Medicaid.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• right of center
• right-wing