conservative

[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv]

adjective

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

2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low.

   a conservative estimate.

3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness.

   conservative suit.

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

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

6. having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.

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

noun

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

2. a supporter of conservative political policies.

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

4. a preservative.

conservative

¹

/ kənˈsɜːvətɪv /

adjective

1. favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation

2. of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism

3. tending to be moderate or cautious

   a conservative estimate

4. conventional in style or type

   a conservative suit

5. med (of treatment) designed to alleviate symptoms Compare radical

6. 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 them

   electrostatic fields of force are conservative

noun

1. a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist

2. a supporter or advocate of conservatism

adjective

1. a less common word for preservative

Conservative

²

/ kənˈsɜːvətɪv /

adjective

1. of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party

2. of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism

noun

1. a supporter or member of a Conservative Party

conservative

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

Other Word Forms

• conservatively adverb
• conservativeness noun
• anticonservative adjective
• anticonservatively adverb
• anticonservativeness noun
• half-conservative adjective
• half-conservatively adverb
• hyperconservative adjective
• hyperconservatively adverb
• hyperconservativeness noun
• nonconservative adjective
• overconservative adjective
• overconservatively adverb
• overconservativeness noun
• pseudoconservative adjective
• pseudoconservatively adverb
• quasi-conservative adjective
• quasi-conservatively adverb
• semiconservative adjective
• semiconservatively adverb
• superconservative adjective
• superconservatively adverb
• superconservativeness noun
• unconservative adjective
• unconservatively adverb
• unconservativeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservative¹

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

Example Sentences

Japan's lower house of parliament on Tuesday appointed the conservative China critic Sanae Takaichi as the country's first woman prime minister.

Read more on Barron's

Japan's conservative views on abortion are rooted in patriarchy and deeply traditional views on the role of women.

Read more on BBC

Members of the court’s conservative majority, who prevailed earlier this year in a decision upholding a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, openly voiced skepticism about the Colorado ban in hearings this week.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This was news to many conservative parents of disabled children, as well as disability policy experts.

Read more on Salon

In 2020, McGrath generated hype among national Democrats with a biography that many thought could be appealing in a conservative state.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• right of center 
• right-wing