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conservative Definition

con·serva·tive (kən sʉr′və tiv)

adjective

  1. conserving or tending to conserve; preservative
  2. tending to preserve established traditions or institutions and to resist or oppose any changes in these conservative politics, conservative art
  3. of or characteristic of a conservative
  4. designating or of the major political party of Great Britain or the similar one in Canada that is characterized by conservative positions on social and economic issues
  5. ☆ moderate; cautious; safe a conservative estimate
  6. Judaism designating or of a movement that accepts traditional forms and religious ritual that have been adapted to modern life with moderation and flexibility

Etymology: OFr conservatif < LL conservativus

noun

  1. Archaic a preservative
  2. a conservative person
  3. a member of the Conservative Party of Great Britain or of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

conservative Related Forms
con·serv′a·tively adverb con·serv′·a·tive·ness noun
conservative Synonyms

conservative

modif.

traditional, reactionary, conventional, moderate, unprogressive, illiberal, right-wing, ultraconservative, conserving, holding to, preserving, unchanging, stable, constant, firm, obstinate, inflexible, opposed to change, cautious, careful, sober, Tory, rightist, right-of-center, taking no chances, timid, not extreme, undaring, disliking novelty, die-hard, old-line, unreconstructed, hidebound, rearguard, in a rut*, in a groove*, standpat*; see also careful, moderate 3.

Antonyms liberal*, progressive, risky.

conservative Synonyms

conservative

n.

reactionary, right-winger, preserver, die-hard, conserver, champion of the status quo, opponent of change, classicist, traditionalist, moderate, Tory, Whig, Federalist, Bourbon, rightist, fundamentalist, standpat, ultraconservative, obstructionist, conventionalist, John Bircher, Reaganite, (old) fogy, mossback*, fossil*, Neanderthal*, stick-in-the-mud*, square*.

Antonyms radical*, progressive, liberal.

conservative Finance Definition
An investment or investment style that is likely to result in modest returns. However, the investor is unlikely to lose the amount of money that has been invested. Typically, people approaching retirement or in retirement opt for a conservative investment approach.
conservative Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • oust: Meanwhile in Beverley, Liberal Democrat John Bird and two Independents stormed to victory in Beverley St. Mary's ward, ousting the Conservatives.
  • accuse: Mr Blair accused the Conservatives of scaremongering and said they had gone from âbeing a one-nation party to a one-issue partyâ .
  • elect: This means we focus on what really matters - getting Conservatives elected and building a modern, open, confident organization.
  • beat: Sun 1st Aug 2004: By election results shows that only the Liberal Democrats can beat Conservatives in North West Hampshire.

Adjective modifier

  • compassionate: Remember that Bush presented himself during that presidential campaign as a Republican moderniser: a ' compassionate conservative ' .
  • Welsh: Indeed, Welsh Conservatives want to enhance the services they offer.
  • liberal: As a liberal conservative, I venerate Mill as a great man.
  • Scottish: Something needs to be done to make the Scottish Parliament work and the Scottish Conservatives are the only Party offering something different.
  • pragmatic: A widely-held view in Tehran is that the pragmatic conservatives are keener to strike a bargain with the US than are the liberal reformists.
  • religious: Browne generally conformed to Henry's will during the upheavals of the early Reformation but remained at heart a religious conservative.

Modifies a noun

  • estimate: At a conservative estimate, they would have fired at least 2,000 rounds in this time.
  • evangelical: Furthermore I wonder whether these conservative evangelicals have really considered the implications of their beliefs.
  • congressman: For nr once which had already arrived true-believing conservative congressman.
  • assumption: But in addition Migrationwatch believe that the population projections themselves make very conservative assumptions about migration.
  • revelry: Sojourn of conservative revelry the infamous foxy's calls along the jose the capital.
  • politician: A conservative politician making the BNP appear respectable is very dangerous.

Modifying Another Word

  • theologically: The Missouri synod is more theologically conservative than many Lutheran traditions.
  • fiscally: This linking is amplified by a fiscally conservative environment that asks agencies to do more with less.

Noun used with modifier

  • voting: It could therefore be expected to set up cognitive dissonance in anyone considering voting Conservative.

Used with adjective complement

  • true-believing: Contributing editor who's and true-believing conservative in as much a larger draft.
conservative Quotes

Bankers'genes were Wall St. genes, especially in the big cities. If the banks were conservative just now [1955], it was because bankers still awoke in the middle of the night, trembling and sweaty with thoughts of the Crash. But intimeanewgenerationwouldtake over: ambitious, overcompetitive young men to whom1929 would be merelya date on a page; such menwould sever theroots of memory as if with an ax, not realizing that those tendrils were also the rudder cables.

—Thomas, Michael M

We are now, as we have always been, decidedly and conscientiouslyattached to what is called theTory, and which might with more propriety be called the Conservative party.

—Critias

If Conservative Backbench MPs wanttoget on inpolitics they will have to find a foothold in the narrow strip of land that lies between sycophancy and rebellion.

—Baker (of Dorking), Kenneth Baker, Baron

Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.

—Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett

A Conservative government is an organized hypocrisy.

—Disraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield

Conservative ideal of freedom and progress: everyone to have an unfettered opportunity of remaining exactly where they are.

—Madan, Geoffrey

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who hasnever learned towalk forwards. A reactionary is a somnambulist walking backwards. A radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.

—Roosevelt, Franklin D(elano)

The Church of England should no longer be satisfied to represent only the Conservative Party at prayer.

—Royden, (Agnes) Maude

He has all the qualities that go to the making of a leader of the Conservative Party. He is not stupid, but he is very dull. He is not eloquent, but he talks well. He is not honest, politically, but he is most evangelical.He has a Beckett little money, but not much. He always conforms to the party policy.

—Baron

I can foresee no circumstance in which I would allow my name to be put forward for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

—Heseltine, Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron

   I never dared be radical when young For fear it would make me conservative when old.

—Frost, Robert Lee

It wassaid of Metternichthat hewasso conservativethat had he been present at the Creation, he would have begged God to have retained Chaos.

—Evans, Bergen

The most conservative man in the world is the British trade unionist, when you want to change him.

—Bevin, Ernest

I often think it's comical How Nature always does contrive That every boyand every gal That's born into the world alive Is either a little Liberal Or else a little Conservative!

—Gilbert, Sir W(illiam) S(chwenck)

There was a heated division of opinion in the lobbies during the interval but a small conservative majority took the view that it might be as well to remain in the theatre.

—Tynan, Kenneth

The Republic will be conservative, or it will be nothing.

—Thiers, (Louis) Adolphe

That man's the true Conservative Who lops the mouldered branch away.

—Tennyson