neocon

American  

[nee-oh-kon] / ˌni oʊˈkɒn /

noun

1. an advocate or supporter of neoconservatism; a neoconservative.

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Etymology

Origin of neocon

First recorded in 1975–80; by shortening

Explanation

A neocon is someone who agrees politically with conservative ideas including free market capitalism. Moderate conservatives tend to clash with neocons on issues of foreign policy. Faith in the free market is one important belief of neocons, but even more important is their support of interventionism. In other words, neocons support actively promoting democracy around the world, even if that means using military force. Neocon is short for neoconservative, which adds the neo-, or "new," prefix to conservative. The original neocons abandoned their formerly leftist ideals in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Example Sentences

“I wouldn’t put my views in a libertarian box or neocon box,” he concluded.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2020

Krauthammer spent his political youth as a liberal-ish speechwriter for Walter Mondale and ended up a neocon on Fox News.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 23, 2019

She later added: "OK folks, look, I messed up. I skimmed this piece, zeroed in on the neocon criticism, and shared it without seeing and considering the rest."

From Fox News • Mar. 30, 2019

So what the heck is a neocon anyway?

From Washington Post • Mar. 13, 2019

This, then, is the legendary Hitch – one-time titan and hero of the left, latterly post-9/11 neocon turncoat – the man who took on Henry Kissinger, Mother Teresa, George Galloway, God and Saddam Hussein.

From The Guardian • May 21, 2010