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conservative

[ kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv ]
/ kənˈsɜr və tɪv /
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See synonyms for: conservative / conservatively / conservativeness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM conservative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conservative in a sentence

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 of conservative

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

Cultural 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.
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