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neoconservatism

American  
[nee-oh-kuhn-sur-vuh-tiz-uhm] / ˌni oʊ kənˈsɜr vəˌtɪz əm /

noun

  1. a faction of the conservative political movement that heavily supports the promotion of democracy abroad through military intervention.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of neoconservatism

First recorded in 1960–65; neo- + conservatism

Vocabulary lists containing neoconservatism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Most presidential administrations have claimed to operate according to a foreign policy doctrine of some kind: for instance, neoconservatism, liberal internationalism, isolationism, or realpolitik.

From Salon Mar. 14, 2026

Podhoretz and his friend Irving Kristol—also a Brooklyn Jew and a former leftist—were the two foremost exponents of neoconservatism.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 17, 2025

Guest: David Klion, columnist for The Nation and contributing editor to Jewish Currents; author of a forthcoming book on neoconservatism.

From Slate Oct. 14, 2025

Many figures of the old left took other paths, toward neoconservatism and staunch anticommunism or toward bitterness and despair, but he emerged as a liberal optimist.

From Washington Post May 10, 2019

To their domestic neoconservatism, Mr. Podhoretz brought an emphasis on strong foreign policy and military interventionism.

From New York Times Mar. 17, 2017

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