conservative

[ kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv ]

/ kənˈsɜr və tɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR conservative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.

traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.

(often initial capital letter) of or relating to the Conservative party.

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.

having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.

Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar.

noun

a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.

a supporter of conservative political policies.

(initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, especially the Conservative party in Great Britain.

a preservative.

Origin of conservative

1350–1400; < Late Latin conservātīvus, equivalent to Latin conservāt(us) (see conservation) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English conservatif < Middle French < Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM conservative

con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun an·ti·con·serv·a·tive, adjective, noun an·ti·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb

an·ti·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun half-con·serv·a·tive, adjective half-con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb hy·per·con·serv·a·tive, adjective, noun hy·per·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb hy·per·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun non·con·ser·va·tive, adjective, noun o·ver·con·serv·a·tive, adjective o·ver·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb o·ver·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun pseu·do·con·serv·a·tive, adjective pseu·do·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb qua·si-con·serv·a·tive, adjective qua·si-con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb sem·i·con·serv·a·tive, adjective sem·i·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb su·per·con·serv·a·tive, adjective su·per·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb su·per·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun un·con·serv·a·tive, adjective un·con·serv·a·tive·ly, adverb un·con·serv·a·tive·ness, noun

Words nearby conservative

conservation of mass, conservation of momentum, conservation of parity, conservationist, conservatism, conservative, conservative baptist, conservative jew, conservative judaism, conservative party, conservatize

Example sentences from the Web for conservative

Plenty of conservative commentators have said he should step down from his leadership position.

Today’s GOP: Still Cool With Racist Pandering? |Michael Tomasky |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
A hundred ultra-wealthy liberal and conservative donors have taken over the political system.

The 100 Rich People Who Run America |Mark McKinnon |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Every time a conservative pol gets caught in a racial mess, we hear the same weary and laughable tune.

Steve Scalise and the Right’s Ridiculous Racial Blame Game |Michael Tomasky |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The disbelief was evident in article after article, with one conservative site using “President Pinocchio” in its headline.

Obama Is Right on Race. The Media Is Wrong. |Keli Goff |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

By Ana Marie Cox Just in time for Christmas, Glenn Beck goes for hipster-chic as a conservative fashion statement.

Seven Must-Read Stories About North Korea, Police Deaths and Glenn Beck |The Daily Beast |December 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In conservative Cyprus there was not that break with the past which occurred in other portions of the Greek world.

The Library Magazine of Select Foreign Literature |Various
The truth is that Paine was too conservative to suit the leaders of the French Revolution.

An Oration On The Life And Services Of Thomas Paine |Robert G. Ingersoll
Its just this sort of thing that makes a man a Conservative.

Chains |Elizabeth Baker
Are the conservative forces in our nation sufficient to insure its perpetuity?

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Debate Index |Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
The combined efforts of conservative men stayed summary action.

Dixie After the War |Myrta Lockett Avary

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

conservative

/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /

adjective

favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation

of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism

tending to be moderate or cautious a conservative estimate

conventional in style or type a conservative suit

med (of treatment) designed to alleviate symptoms Compare radical (def. 4)

physics a field of force, system, etc, in which the work done moving a body from one point to another is independent of the path taken between them electrostatic fields of force are conservative

noun

a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist

a supporter or advocate of conservatism

adjective, noun

a less common word for preservative

Derived forms of conservative

conservatively, adverb conservativeness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

Conservative

/ (kənˈsɜːvətɪv) /

adjective (in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)

of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party

of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism

noun

a supporter or member of a Conservative Party

Medical definitions for conservative

conservative

[ kən-sûr′və-tĭv ]

adj.

Of or relating to treatment by gradual, limited, or well-established procedures; not radical.

Other words from conservative

con•ser′va•tive•ly adv.

Cultural definitions for conservative

conservative

A descriptive term for persons, policies, and beliefs associated with conservatism.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

conservative

adjective

noun

Origin of conservative

OTHER WORDS FROM conservative

Words nearby conservative

Example sentences from the Web for conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

adjective

noun

adjective, noun

Derived forms of conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

adjective (in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)

noun

Medical definitions for conservative

adj.

Other words from conservative

Cultural definitions for conservative

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

conservative

adjective

noun

Origin of conservative

OTHER WORDS FROM conservative

Words nearby conservative

Words related to conservative

Example sentences from the Web for conservative

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)

adjective

noun

adjective, noun

Derived forms of conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (2 of 2)

adjective (in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)

noun

Medical definitions for conservative

adj.

Other words from conservative

Cultural definitions for conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservative (1 of 2)