ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Conservative

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /kənˈsɜːvətɪv/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Conservative is a noun meaning A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

Meaning

A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

More Meanings

  1. (politics) One who seeks to promote or preserve traditional values or institutions.
  2. Cautious, moderate.
  3. Tending to resist change or innovation.
  4. Based on pessimistic assumptions, and on the low side.
  5. (US, Canada, economics, politics, social sciences) Supporting some combination of fiscal, political or social conservatism.
  6. (British, politics) Relating to the Conservative Party.
  7. (especially US, Canada, politics) One who seeks to promote traditions in a particular domain (e.g. a fiscal conservative or a social conservative).

Example Sentences

India is a conservative land. The gods do not change.
The chef added a conservative amount of salt to the dish.
At a conservative estimate, growth may even be negative next year.
The curriculum committee at this university is extremely conservative.

Word Forms

Synonyms for conservative

Depending on context, synonyms include conventional, moderate, right, cautious, fusty, buttoned-up.

Antonyms for conservative

Common opposites include liberal, progressive.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include ultraconservative, bourgeois, middle-class, traditionalist, conventional, materialistic.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

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