conservatism

[kuh n-sur-vuh-tiz-uh m]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservatism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the disposition to preserve or restore what is established and traditional and to limit change.

the principles and practices of political conservatives.

Origin of conservatism

First recorded in 1825–35; conservat(ive) + -ism

Related formsan·ti·con·serv·a·tism, nounhy·per·con·serv·a·tism, nouno·ver·con·serv·a·tism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for conservatism

moderation, orthodoxy, preservation, traditionalism, conservativeness

Examples from the Web for conservatism

Contemporary Examples of conservatism

His conservatism, which is more of a cultural than political kidney, seems to fascinate, delight or detract critics.
Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly Expat
Michael Weiss
August 10, 2014
No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values, conservatism.
The Silly Conservative War on Stephen Colbert
Kevin Bleyer
April 13, 2014
Phelps lay along a continuum of conservatism—not on the other side of a border from it.
Fred Phelps, Friend of the Gays
Jay Michaelson
March 20, 2014
These three trends all seem to spell major long-term problems for conservatism.
Millennials Unfriend Democrats
Kristen Soltis Anderson
March 11, 2014
American women expressed their support and impatience when fighting puritanism and conservatism using Femen tactics.
Femen's Topless Sextremists Invade the US
Lizzie Crocker
February 23, 2014

Historical Examples of conservatism

I freely say that the tendency of my thought, based on observation, is to conservatism.
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
The conservatism of to-morrow injected into the affairs of to-day.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
Conservatism was out of favour just then, and the Liberals were in power.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay
He is the embodiment of routine and conservatism, because he is the embodiment of mediocrity.
The Curse of Education
Harold E. Gorst
Radicalism and conservatism must combine together to make reform.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 5, May, 1864
Various

British Dictionary definitions for conservatism

conservatism

noun

opposition to change and innovation

a political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change

Conservatism

noun (in Britain, Canada, etc)

the form of conservatism advocated by the Conservative Party

the policies, doctrines, or practices of the 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

Word Origin and History for conservatism

1835, in reference to the Conservative party in British politics; from conservative + -ism. From 1840 in reference to conservative principles generally.

conservatism in Culture

conservatism

A general preference for the existing order of society, and an opposition to efforts to bring about sharp change. (Compare liberalism.)