definitions

conservative

[ kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv ]
/ kənˈsɜr və tɪv /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

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RELATED WORDS

traditional, timid, reactionary, middle-of-the-road, moderate, traditionalist, firm, right, constant, redneck, steady, quiet, fuddy-duddy, stable, bourgeois, Tory, stick-in-the-mud, diehard, rightist, preserver

Nearby words

conservation of mass, conservation of momentum, conservation of parity, conservationist, conservatism, conservative, conservative baptist, conservative jew, conservative judaism, conservative party, conservatize

Origin of conservative

1350–1400; < Late Latin conservātīvus, equivalent to Latin conservāt(us) (see conservation) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English conservatif < Middle French < Latin, as above

Related forms

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

Examples from the Web for conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

conservative

/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /

adjective

noun

a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist
a supporter or advocate of conservatism

adjective, noun

a less common word for preservative

Derived Forms

conservatively, adverbconservativeness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

Conservative

/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /

adjective (in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)

of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party
of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism

noun

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

Medicine definitions for conservative

conservative

[ kən-sûr′və-tĭv ]

adj.

Of or relating to treatment by gradual, limited, or well-established procedures; not radical.

Related forms

con•ser′va•tive•ly adv.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Culture definitions for conservative

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.