conservatism

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tism kən-ˈsər-və-ˌti-zəm 

plural conservatisms

1

a

: inclination to preserve what is established : belief in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society

Classical education involves a certain kind of conservatism.

—Adam M. Carrington

The twentieth century politics of New Jersey has continued to be dominated … by the natural conservatism of the industrial and business interests.

—American Guide Series: New Jersey

compare liberalism sense 1

b

: a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing the importance of established hierarchies and institutions (such as religion, the family, and class structure), and preferring gradual development to abrupt change

Despite much change in the surrounding social environment, however, the essential values of conservatism remained much as they have always been: church, family, personal responsibility, order, country.

—A. James Reichley

specifically : such a philosophy calling for reduced taxation, for limited government regulation of business, industry and finance, for restriction of immigration, for a strong national defense, and for individual financial responsibility for personal needs (such as retirement income and health care coverage) and often including the aims of social conservatism

… believes there is a strong desire in the [Republican] party for a candidate … who espouses Reagan-style conservatism, including traditional social values, hawkish foreign policy and small government economics.

—Jill Colvin and Thomas Beaumont

This reasoning is congruent with conservatism's argument that excessively benevolent government is not a benefactor, and that capitalism does not merely make people better off, it makes them better.

—George Will

c

Conservatism : the principles and policies of a Conservative party (see conservative entry 1 sense 1b)

tenets of British Conservatism

also : a Conservative party or its members

the recent electoral success of Conservatism

2

: the tendency to prefer an existing system or situation and to be cautious about or suspicious of change : strong resistance to innovation

religious conservatism

… a sophisticated understanding of science's necessary conservatism …

—Henry H. Bauer

The young Maud's willful, imaginative personality frequently clashed with her grandparents' strict conservatism.

—V. M. Braganza

The charge is that soccer's inherent conservatism, its aversion to new thinking, conditioned it to resist the benefits of analytics.

—Rory Smith

Ironically, foreign art dealers and museums helped to maintain convention and conservatism among Russian painters by requiring their productions to be "as Russian as possible."

—John Bayley

3

Conservatism : Conservative Judaism

Today there is hardly a spot on the Jewish scene which is without new commitment. Jews are opting in. … Sometimes they enter Conservatism or Reform but often they don't stay there.

—Raymond Apple

Synonyms

• conservativeness
• die-hardism
• reactionaryism
• traditionalism
• ultraconservatism

Examples of conservatism in a Sentence

the state's well-known conservatism means that progressive legislation always has an uphill battle

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet, stranger things have already happened during Trump's tenure, as the GOP's populist streak overtakes traditional free-market conservatism. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 27 May 2025

But there are philosophical consequences, too — namely, the death of conservatism by a thousand cuts. —S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025

The legacy of compassionate conservatism is a prescription drug benefit in Medicare administered by private insurers; the legacy of reform conservatism is mostly increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017. —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 22 May 2025

For me, the most important thing Bill Buckley did was provide both intellectual and moral support to two of conservatism’s most consequential figures—Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. —Doug Ducey, National Review, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

conservat(ive) entry 1 or conservat(ive) entry 2 + -ism

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing conservatism

• social conservatism

Rhymes for conservatism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism

Kids Definition

conservatism

noun

con·​ser·​va·​tism kən-ˈsər-və-ˌtiz-əm 

1

: a political belief supporting established institutions and customs and preferring gradual development to sudden change

2

: a desire to preserve an existing situation or existing ways