conservatism

[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiz-uhm]

noun

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

2. the principles and practices of political conservatives.

conservatism

¹

/ kənˈsɜːvəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. opposition to change and innovation

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

Conservatism

²

/ kənˈsɜːvəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. the form of conservatism advocated by the Conservative Party

2. the policies, doctrines, or practices of the Conservative Party

conservatism

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

Other Word Forms

• anticonservatism noun
• hyperconservatism noun
• overconservatism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservatism¹

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

Example Sentences

The furor ramps up the pressure to reform Lloyd’s, which has a centurieslong history of product innovation and marked cultural conservatism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The 2028 financial targets didn’t surprise positively overall, partly due to the company’s plan to move away from lower-margin businesses and possibly some conservatism, he says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. George has played an essential role in articulating and advancing a robust social conservatism rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition and the American founding.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Today, “it seems like conservatism is rewriting itself, exploring where to go. Does Tucker represent a legitimate conservatism? Everything has begun to change and shift.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But curiously, and perhaps ironically, his range of interests, though in fact reprising venerable leftwing sympathies, may also chime with the sort of conservatism that values settled skills and customs—a settled pace of life.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• moderation 
• orthodoxy