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

She’s hemmed in on both sides, damned either way, regarded as an establishment neocon by the left and a radical feminist harpie by the right.

From The Guardian • Jun. 3, 2020

You can call John Bolton a lot of things — bully, brawler, neocon — but not many would call him a dummy.

From Washington Post • Jan. 28, 2020

“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