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conservative

adjective
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con·​ser·​va·​tive | \ kən-ˈsər-və-tiv How to pronounce conservative (audio) \

Definition of conservative

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism
b Conservative : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: such as
(1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions
(2) : progressive conservative
2a : tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : traditional conservative policies
b : marked by moderation or caution a conservative estimate
c : marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners a conservative suit a conservative architectural style
3 Conservative : of, relating to, or practicing Conservative Judaism
4 : preservative

conservative

noun

Definition of conservative (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an adherent or advocate of political conservatism
b Conservative : a member or supporter of a conservative political party
2a : one who adheres to traditional methods or views
b : a cautious or discreet person
Other Words from conservative Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing conservative Learn More About conservative

Other Words from conservative

Adjective

conservatively adverb
conservativeness noun

Examples of conservative in a Sentence

Adjective She is a liberal Democrat who married a conservative Republican. She's more conservative now than she was in college. Noun His message is being well received by conservatives. proposed legislation that was opposed by conservatives throughout the state
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But another former Trump appointee, who now runs a conservative advocacy group where Clark works, confirmed the search and said federal agents also searched Clark’s electronic devices. — Devlin Barrett, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2022 An Instagram post shared June 9 by conservative group Turning Point USA shows a screenshot of a June 8 tweet from Gun Owners of America, a pro-Second Amendment lobbying group. — Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 24 June 2022 Clark, an environmental lawyer, now works at the Center for Renewing America, a conservative advocacy group. — Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 For the third time in as many days, the conservative group Project Veritas has published an undercover video of a Utah Republican congressional candidate. — Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 June 2022 Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative advocacy group, filed on behalf of cisgender athletes who raced against two transgender female sprinters at the Connecticut state high school championships. — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2022 However, one conservative Catholic group, the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, commended the bishop’s decision. — Anjali Huynh, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2022 Members include former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway; former director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow; former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos; and David McIntosh, president of the conservative group Club for Growth. — Alex Leary And John Mccormick, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Three months after leaving the White House in early 2021, Pence founded a political advocacy group called Advancing American Freedom, a conservative policy group that was seen as an early indicator of Pence's future political ambitions. — Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 10 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun An outspoken conservative of the 1970s, Martha Mitchell was characterized as a brash, crazy drunk with a wild imagination. — Kellie B. Gormly, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022 The Walt Disney Company’s namesake founder, after all, was an anti-union conservative. — New York Times, 17 Apr. 2022 In 2010, Delaware Republicans opted for an unknown conservative named Christine O'Donnell rather than longtime GOP politician Mike Castle as their nominee. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, 23 Feb. 2022 Gaetz, an outspoken conservative, said Rittenhouse deserves a not-guilty verdict. — Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021 He is best understood as an old-school conservative. — Nathaniel Parish Flannery, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2021 In many ways, this Social Justice Mom is a cautionary tale of what can happen to the child of a conservative if allowed free rein in the library. — Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 31 May 2022 Musk isn't really a conservative in any meaningful sense. — W. James Antle Iii, The Week, 27 Apr. 2022 Two television ads from a super PAC called Pennsylvania Conservative Fund try to portray Oz as a phony who is merely pretending to be a conservative. — Daniel Dale, CNN, 8 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conservative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of conservative

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for conservative

Adjective

see conserve entry 1

Noun

see conserve entry 1

Learn More About conservative

Time Traveler for conservative

Time Traveler

The first known use of conservative was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near conservative

conservatist

conservative

Conservative Baptist

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Statistics for conservative

Last Updated

28 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Conservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservative. Accessed 4 Jul. 2022.

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More Definitions for conservative

conservative

adjective
con·​ser·​va·​tive | \ kən-ˈsər-və-tiv How to pronounce conservative (audio) \

Kids Definition of conservative

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : favoring a policy of keeping things as they are : opposed to change
2 : favoring established styles and standards He wears conservative ties.
3 : likely to be lower than what the real amount or number is a conservative estimate

Other Words from conservative

conservatively adverb

conservative

noun

Kids Definition of conservative (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person who is opposed to change : a cautious person

conservative

adjective
con·​ser·​va·​tive | \ kən-ˈsər-vət-iv How to pronounce conservative (audio) \

Medical Definition of conservative

: not extreme or drastic especially : designed to preserve parts or restore or preserve function conservative treatment of prostate cancer by watchful waiting or hormonal therapy in contrast to radical prostatectomy — compare aggressive sense 3, radical entry 1

Other Words from conservative

conservatively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on conservative

Nglish: Translation of conservative for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of conservative for Arabic Speakers

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