DEFINITIONS
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conservative

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

adjective

noun

Content related to conservative

Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?During 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 …
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race-baitingRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
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Words related to conservative

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

Words nearby conservative

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

OTHER WORDS FROM conservative

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 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

Medicine definitions for conservative

conservative
[ kən-sûr′və-tĭv ]

adj.

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

Other words from conservative

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.