conservative — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, this commitment brought him into frequent critical confrontation with entrenched forms of conservative thinking (in academic areas from history and social science to the more abstract domains of ethical and political philosophy),[…]

2. One who seeks to promote or preserve traditional values or institutions.

   Narrower terms

   reactionarysmall-c conservative

   Examples

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   If there’s a down side to the film, it’s that “Soros” probably doesn’t devote enough time to the way its subject has become a favorite bogeyman to conservatives that paint him as the guiding hand behind grassroots campaigns by those intent on discrediting them.

3. One who seeks to promote traditions in a particular domain (e.g. a fiscal conservative or a social conservative).

   Usage

   • Canada
   • US usage
   • especially

Adjective

1. Cautious, moderate.

   Examples

   The chef added a conservative amount of salt to the dish.

2. Tending to resist change or innovation.

   Examples

   The curriculum committee at this university is extremely conservative.

   India is a conservative land. The gods do not change.

   More examples (1)

   Those who defend him [Hegel] against the charge of conservative bias point out with truth that he believes in a tribunal of Reason to distinguish between what is truly real and what appears real but is no longer 'essential', maintaining a purely empirical existence and destined soon to be swept away.

3. Based on pessimistic assumptions, and on the low side.

   Examples

   At a conservative estimate, growth may even be negative next year.

4. Supporting some combination of fiscal, political or social conservatism.

   Usage

   • Canada
   • US usage

   Examples

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   Newspapers in "capitalist" ownership, universities presided over by "reactionary" governing bodies, broadcasting systems owned by conservative governments have all been known to influence public opinion in the direction of socialism, because this was the conviction of the personnel.

   George Soros remains a favorite target of conservative conspiracy theorists, seeing his corrupting influence behind every liberal movement and within every nook and cranny.

5. Relating to the Conservative Party.

   Usage

   • UK usage

   Examples

   We have always been conscientiously attached to what is called the Tory, and which might with more propriety be called the Conservative, party.

6. Neither creating nor destroying a given quantity.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

7. Having power to preserve in a safe or entire state, or from loss, waste, or injury; preservative.

   Examples

   Without the conservative organs, the body would receive no nourishment; and without nourishment, it would soon decay and perish.

8. Relating to Conservative Judaism.

   Usage

   • Judaism

9. Conventional, traditional, and moderate in style and appearance; not extreme, excessive, faddish, or intense.

10. Not including any operation or intervention (said of a treatment, see conservative treatment)

    Examples

    Operative treatment should be reserved for those patients in whom conservative treatment has failed and who are motivated with regard to sports.

11. Having few changes relative to an older form, especially in comparison to related varieties.

    Examples

    While innovative in its verbal system, Sardinian is the most conservative Romance language in its vocabulary and phonology.

    More examples (1)

    In spite of the vague evidence, I think that we may conclude that ME ǭ, like ME ę̄, had two pronunciations during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a more advanced pronunciation with close [oː], and a more conservative one with the ‘intermediate vowel’ [ɔː] […]

12. That is the gradient of a function.

    Usage

    • of field

Adjective

1. resistant to change, particularly in relation to politics or religion

   Antonyms

   liberal

2. having social or political views favoring conservatism

3. avoiding excess

   Synonyms

   cautious

   Examples

   a conservative estimate

4. unimaginatively conventional

   Synonyms

   button-downbuttoned-down

5. conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class

   Synonyms

   bourgeoismaterialistic

   Examples

   a bourgeois mentality

Noun

1. a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas

   Synonyms

   conservativist

   Antonyms

   liberal

   Broader terms

   actordoerworker