Word forms: plural conservativeslanguage note: The spelling Conservative is also used for meaning [sense 1].
1. adjective
A Conservative politician or voter is a member of or votes for the Conservative Party in Britain.
Most Conservative MPs appear happy with the government's reassurances.
...disenchanted Conservative voters.
Conservative is also a noun.
In 1951, the Conservatives were returned to power.
2. adjective
Someone who is conservative has right-wing views.
...counties whose citizens invariably support the most conservative candidate inany election.
Conservative is also a noun.
The new judge is 50-year-old David Suitor who's regarded as a conservative.
3. adjective
Someone who is conservative or has conservative ideas is unwilling to accept changes and new ideas.
It is essentially a narrow and conservative approach to child care.
Synonyms: traditional, guarded, quiet, conventional More Synonyms of conservative
4. adjective
If someone dresses in a conservative way, their clothes are conventional in style.
The girl was well dressed, as usual, though in a more conservative style.
conservativelyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
She was always very conservatively dressed when we went out.
5. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A conservative estimate or guess is one in which you are cautious and estimate or guess a low amount which is probably less than the real amount.
A conservative estimate of the bill, so far, is about £22,000.
This guess is probably on the conservative side.
conservativelyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
The bequest is conservatively estimated at £30 million.
More Synonyms of conservative
conservative in British English
(kənˈsɜːvətɪv)
adjective
1.
favouring the preservation of established customs, values, etc, and opposing innovation
2.
of, characteristic of, or relating to conservatism
3.
tending to be moderate or cautious
a conservative estimate
4.
conventional in style or type
a conservative suit
5. medicine
(of treatment) designed to alleviate symptoms
Compare radical (sense 4)
6. physics
denoting a field of force, system, etc, in which the work done moving a body from one point to anotheris independent of the path taken between them
electrostatic fields of force are conservative
noun
7.
a person who is reluctant to change or consider new ideas; conformist
8.
a supporter or advocate of conservatism
adjective, noun
9. a less common word for preservative
Derived forms
conservatively (conˈservatively)
adverb
conservativeness (conˈservativeness)
noun
Conservative in British English
(kənˈsɜːvətɪv)
adjective(in Britain, Canada, and elsewhere)
1.
of, supporting, or relating to a Conservative Party
2.
of, relating to, or characterizing Conservative Judaism
noun
3.
a supporter or member of a Conservative Party
conservative in American English
(kənˈsɜrvətɪv)
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. [C-]
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. US
moderate; cautious; safe
a conservative estimate
6. [C-]; Judaism
designating or of a movement that accepts traditional forms and religious ritual that have been adapted to modern life with moderation and flexibility
noun
7. Archaic
a preservative
8.
a conservative person
9. [C-]
a member of the Conservative Party of Great Britain or of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Derived forms
conservatively (conˈservatively)
adverb
conservativeness (conˈservativeness)
noun
Word origin
OFr conservatif < LL conservativus
Examples of 'conservative' in a sentence
conservative
The president made a huge effort to engage on big-ticket issues for conservative religious groups.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The Conservatives have also promised to provide trusts with a choice of service providers, thereby increasing competition and potentially driving down cost.
Computing (2010)
It is not clear how the actress, known for her hedonistic lifestyle, became a champion of a party with conservative religious views.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Religion is sometimes a radical rather than a conservative force.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
Now he is considered conservative and keen not to stick out.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Their conservative investment style tends to protect investors from the full force of any downturn.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The conservative monarchy is also facing pressure from foreign governments.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Tricky question for liberals and conservatives alike.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was also suggesting that religion is profoundly a politically conservative force.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
Egypt is a conservative country and many want to see it in power.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The conservative culture also means that cohabitation is rare and couples marry younger than elsewhere.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
His conservative approach to journalism was belied by his courage when facing challenges to freedom of the press.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We are very conventional, conservative people.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The Conservatives now accept that fairness matters.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It is worth remembering that the Conservatives failed to win an overall majority at the election.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
To be united, have a less conservative approach and finally opt for video.
The Sun (2012)
There's no reason now why a foreign policy hawk should make common cause with a religious conservative.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The result is an impasse that senior conservatives recognise could cost them dearly in next year's presidential election.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Nor was he a conventional Conservative.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Nonetheless, senior Conservatives have become jittery.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That would have triggered a second general election, one the Conservatives would have been likely to win.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
On Tuesday the Conservatives used one of the hit singles from that album to launch their general election manifesto.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But since he was driven from power in 1998, stricter and more conservative religious forms have begun to assert themselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In contrast with pastoring or preaching, teaching is more widely accepted in conservative circles, but the women still needed a blueprint.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
conservative
British English: conservative /kənˈsɜːvətɪv/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is conservative has right-wing views.
...the most conservative candidate.
American English: conservative
Arabic: مُحَافِظ
Brazilian Portuguese: conservador
Chinese: 保守的
Croatian: konzervativan
Czech: konzervativní
Danish: konservativ
Dutch: conservatief
European Spanish: conservador
Finnish: konservatiivinen
French: conservateur politique
German: konservativ
Greek: συντηρητικός
Italian: conservatore
Japanese: 保守的な
Korean: 보수적인
Norwegian: konservativ
Polish: konserwatywny
European Portuguese: conservador
Romanian: conservator
Russian: консервативный
Latin American Spanish: conservador
Swedish: konservativ
Thai: ที่เป็นอนุรักษ์นิยม
Turkish: tutucu
Ukrainian: консервативний
Vietnamese: bảo thủ
All related terms of 'conservative'
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is the main right-of-centre party in Britain.
Young Conservative
a member of the youth section of the United Kingdom Conservative Party
conservative extension
a formal theory that includes among its theorems all the theorems of a given theory
Conservative Judaism
a movement reacting against the radicalism of Reform Judaism , rejecting extreme change and advocating moderate relaxations of traditional Jewish law, by an extension of the process by which its adherents claim traditional Orthodox Judaism evolved
Progressive Conservative
a member or supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party, a federal Canadian political party from 1942 to 2003
Conservative and Unionist Party
(in Britain ) the major right-wing party, which developed from the Tories in the 1830s. It advocates property owning and free enterprise
Progressive Conservative Party
(in Canada ) a former major political party with conservative policies ; merged with the Conservative Party in 2003
neo-conservatism
(in the US) a right-wing tendency that originated amongst supporters of the political left and has become characterized by its support of hawkish foreign policies