conservative

[ kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv ]

/ kənˈsɜr və tɪv /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conservative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.

traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.

(often initial capital letter) of or relating to the Conservative party.

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.

having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.

Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar.

noun

a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.

a supporter of conservative political policies.

(initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, especially the Conservative party in Great Britain.

a preservative.

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

con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbcon·serv·a·tive·ness, nounan·ti·con·serv·a·tive, adjective, nounan·ti·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb

an·ti·con·serv·a·tive·ness, nounhalf-con·serv·a·tive, adjectivehalf-con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbhy·per·con·serv·a·tive, adjective, nounhy·per·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbhy·per·con·serv·a·tive·ness, nounnon·con·ser·va·tive, adjective, nouno·ver·con·serv·a·tive, adjectiveo·ver·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbo·ver·con·serv·a·tive·ness, nounpseu·do·con·serv·a·tive, adjectivepseu·do·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbqua·si-con·serv·a·tive, adjectivequa·si-con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbsem·i·con·serv·a·tive, adjectivesem·i·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbsu·per·con·serv·a·tive, adjectivesu·per·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbsu·per·con·serv·a·tive·ness, nounun·con·serv·a·tive, adjectiveun·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverbun·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun

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

Examples from the Web for conservative

Plenty of conservative commentators have said he should step down from his leadership position.
Today’s GOP: Still Cool With Racist Pandering?|Michael Tomasky|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A hundred ultra-wealthy liberal and conservative donors have taken over the political system.
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Every time a conservative pol gets caught in a racial mess, we hear the same weary and laughable tune.
Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The disbelief was evident in article after article, with one conservative site using “President Pinocchio” in its headline.
Obama Is Right on Race. The Media Is Wrong.|Keli Goff|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

By Ana Marie Cox Just in time for Christmas, Glenn Beck goes for hipster-chic as a conservative fashion statement.
Seven Must-Read Stories About North Korea, Police Deaths and Glenn Beck|The Daily Beast|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In conservative Cyprus there was not that break with the past which occurred in other portions of the Greek world.
The Library Magazine of Select Foreign Literature|Various
The truth is that Paine was too conservative to suit the leaders of the French Revolution.
An Oration On The Life And Services Of Thomas Paine|Robert G. Ingersoll
Its just this sort of thing that makes a man a Conservative.
Chains|Elizabeth Baker
Are the conservative forces in our nation sufficient to insure its perpetuity?
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Debate Index|Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
The combined efforts of conservative men stayed summary action.
Dixie After the War|Myrta Lockett Avary

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

conservative

/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /

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

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

Word Origin and History for conservative

conservative

adj.

late 14c., conservatyf, from Middle French conservatif, from Late Latin conservativus, from Latin conservatus, past participle of conservare (see conserve).

As a modern political tradition, conservatism traces to Edmund Burke's opposition to the French Revolution (1790), but the word conservative is not found in his writing. It was coined by his French disciples, (e.g. Chateaubriand, who titled his journal defending clerical and political restoration "Le Conservateur").

Conservative as the name of a British political faction first appeared in an 1830 issue of the "Quarterly Review," in an unsigned article sometimes attributed to John Wilson Croker. It replaced Tory (q.v.) by 1843, reflecting both a change from the pejorative name (in use for 150 years) and repudiation of some reactionary policies. Extended to similar spirits in other parties from 1845.

Strictly speaking, conservatism is not a political system, but rather a way of looking at the civil order. The conservative of Peru ... will differ greatly from those of Australia, for though they may share a preference for things established, the institutions and customs which they desire to preserve are not identical. [Russell Kirk (1918-1994)]

Phrases such as a conservative estimate make no sense etymologically. The noun is attested from 1831, originally in the British political sense.

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.

Culture definitions for conservative

conservative

A descriptive term for persons, policies, and beliefs associated with conservatism.

conservative

adjective

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of conservative

Examples from the Web for conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

conservative

adjective

noun

adjective, noun

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

Conservative

adjective (in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)

noun

Word Origin and History for conservative

conservative

Medicine definitions for conservative

conservative

adj.

Culture definitions for conservative

conservative

conservative

.css-1gxch3{color:#1a1a1a;font-size:18px;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of conservative

Examples from the Web for conservative

British Dictionary definitions for.css-ylq2vz{color:#1a1a1a;} conservative (1 of 2)

conservative

adjective

noun

adjective, noun

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

Conservative

noun

Word Origin and History for conservative

conservative

Medicine definitions for conservative

conservative

adj.

Culture definitions for conservative

conservative

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)