conservative
disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.
(often initial capital letter) of or relating to the Conservative party.
(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.
having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.
Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar.
a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.
a supporter of conservative political policies.
(initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, especially the Conservative party in Great Britain.
a preservative.
Origin of conservative
1Other words from conservative
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use conservative in a sentence
But Bush is as exciting to many conservatives as Hillary Clinton is to many progressives, meaning not so much.
Several Republicans won primaries in 2014 by running as ideologically pure conservatives who wanted new leadership in the House.
He finished second in 2008 behind John McCain, and maintains a reservoir of good will among Republican social conservatives.
But the fun starts when conservatives stop playing defense and go on offense.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game | Michael Tomasky | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTConservatives distrust public officials and want to shackle them with detailed rules.
It was soon obvious that there were two distinct types of delegates: the eastern "conservatives" and the western "reformers."
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. TorpeyIt must be confessed, however, that the Conservatives placed their all on this cast of the die.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanIn parliament the Conservatives put forth all their remaining strength to check the onward progress of free-trade.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanThe Conservatives, however, did not yet give up the struggle, though they fought as men in despair.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanThe conservatives both at Milan and Turin feared to leave an opening for a possible Lombard republic after the war.
The Life of Mazzini | Bolton King
British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)
/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /
favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation
of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism
tending to be moderate or cautious: a conservative estimate
conventional in style or type: a conservative suit
med (of treatment) designed to alleviate symptoms: Compare radical (def. 4)
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
a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist
a supporter or advocate of conservatism
a less common word for preservative
Derived forms of conservative
- conservatively, adverb
- conservativeness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Conservative (2 of 2)
/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /
of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party
of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism
a supporter or member of a Conservative Party
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for conservative
A descriptive term for persons, policies, and beliefs associated with conservatism.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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