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• conservatism
  conservatism

  noun

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

  noun

  the form of conservatism advocated by the Conservative Party

conservatism

American  

[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiz-uhm] / kənˈsɜr vəˌtɪz əm /

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.

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Conservatism ¹ British  

/ kənˈsɜːvəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. the form of conservatism advocated by the Conservative Party

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

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conservatism ² British  

/ 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

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conservatism Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• anticonservatism
  noun
• hyperconservatism
  noun
• overconservatism
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of conservatism

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

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Explanation

When people discuss politics and mention the word conservatism, they're talking about a philosophy that favors making few changes in society, sticking with traditions, and often spending as little money as possible. Conservatism is most often used to describe the beliefs of right-wing politicians and the people who tend to vote for them. There are some who practice fiscal conservatism — which focuses on reducing spending and cutting budgets — while being more liberal socially. Social conservatism tends to favor things like traditional roles for women and men, and to object to major changes in society like same sex marriage. A person who embraces conservatism is called a conservative.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conservatism Conservatism

Stephanie Slade’s “Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right” explores the intellectual roots of fusionism and, by extension, American conservatism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Canadian YouTuber Lauren Southern, for instance, was an early adopter of pick-me conservatism whose first video, posted when she was 19, was titled “Why I’m not a feminist.”

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

The German was supposed to be the elite coach who would make the difference when it mattered, throw off the perceived cloak of conservatism that held back England under Southgate.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Ms. Jones is a senior lecturer in modern history at the University of Manchester and the author of a book on how Edmund Burke became a symbol for political conservatism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

He's hoping to promote an image of quiet conservatism, but please!

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

But when the chief executive of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group with a $130 million annual budget, addressed the National Conservatism conference in September, she gave a dark warning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

Conservatism in the political sense arose in the modern world as a direct reaction to the French Revolution and, more indirectly, as a response to the Enlightenment.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025

This was the question Schmitt posed at the fifth annual National Conservatism Conference in Washington.

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025

This year’s NatCon, organized by the conservative U.S. think tank the Edmund Burke Foundation, was held under the banner of “National Conservatism, Preserving the Nation-State in Europe.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 16, 2024

By this time he had definitely formulated the policy of progressive Conservatism which was known as “Tory democracy.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

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