Dictionary.com
definitions

conservative

[kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv]
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Why Left and Right Mean Liberal and ConservativeDuring election seasons the words left and right denote political affiliation more than spatial direction. But where do these associations come from? The left hand has long been associated with deviance. The word “sinister” originally meant “to the left” in Latin. The word “left” comes from the Old English word lyft, which literally meant “weak, foolish.” To avoid the negative and superstitious associations of the …
READ MORE
race-baitingRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

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

  1. conservation of mass,
  2. conservation of momentum,
  3. conservation of parity,
  4. conservationist,
  5. conservatism,
  6. conservative baptist,
  7. conservative jew,
  8. conservative judaism,
  9. conservative party,
  10. 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

conservative

adjective

favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation
of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism
tending to be moderate or cautiousa conservative estimate
conventional in style or typea conservative suit
med (of treatment) designed to alleviate symptomsCompare radical (def. 4)
physics a field of force, system, etc, in which the work done moving a body from one point to another is independent of the path taken between themelectrostatic fields of force are conservative

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 Formsconservatively, adverbconservativeness, noun

Conservative

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
Word Origin and History for conservative

conservative

adj.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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 formscon•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.