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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

Iowa is not likely to be mistaken for France anytime soon, but Lahn’s version of conservatism is still very European.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

This question comes up a lot whenever there is a wet race, but in this specific situation the delay in starting the race was not caused by any conservatism when it comes to wet running.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The company’s outlook for the next fiscal year was stronger than expected, though, and embedded conservatism in the margin guidance creates some room for upside, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 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

Will might have picked up his conservatism right then.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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

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

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2025

Part of the issue, according to Reece Peck, a communications scholar and author of “Fox Populism: Branding Conservatism as Working Class,” comes down to divergent social identities and language.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 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

Conservatism and authority are all the go nowadays.

From Anatole France The Revolt of the Angels by Anatole France

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Related Words

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