conservative 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈsər-və-tiv How to pronounce conservative (audio)
Definition of conservativenext
1
as in traditional
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions conservative baseball fans consider the new ballpark too modern-looking and plain ugly

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2
as in muted
not excessively showy dressing in conservative outfits so as to make a good impression at job interviews

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3
as in cautious
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble made conservative investments, and so he wasn't ruined when the market went into a free fall

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conservative

2 of 2

noun

as in Tory
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are proposed legislation that was opposed by conservatives throughout the state

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conservative
Adjective
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday struck down one of those holds. — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Publicly available information points to conservative political and media interests, not funding by pro-Israel organizations. — Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
Ken Paxton is a strong conservative who is going to fight for low taxes, low regulations, lots of jobs, to secure the border, to support law enforcement, to protect our constitutional rights. — NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026 Doug Sutter, a Rock County supervisor who supports the moratorium, describes himself as a constitutional conservative. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conservative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conservative
  1. traditional
  2. muted
  3. cautious
  4. traditionalist
  5. orthodox
  6. quiet
  7. careful
  8. rightist
Adjective
  • For these brands, lab-grown is in the name, and their styles are more akin to traditional natural diamond brands.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the business of journalism has changed so much financially, and a third of journalists don’t work for a traditional news organization.
    — Jocelyn Noveck, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of traditional
Adjective
  • Overnight, the British market's reaction to Keir Starmer's resignation remained relatively muted.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Featuring warm neutrals, earthy tones, muted pinks, clay hues, and airy blues, the palette includes shades inspired by nature—from sandy beaches to golden autumn leaves.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of muted
Adjective
  • Florida’s Republican gubernatorial ticket is defying historic trends for a political party traditionally known for elevating white men to leadership positions — even as the GOP remains cautious about drawing attention to the shift.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bindi, a young female wallaby, is inquisitive and extremely curious, while Wally, a young male wallaby, is more cautious and likes to look at things from afar, Borozenets said.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
Noun
  • Conservatives in DellaPosta’s study were more likely to endorse spanking kids, for instance, which aligns with conservatism’s more traditionalist worldview.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Like other hard-right populist parties across the globe, Reform’s brand is very much tied up in traditionalist masculinity.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of traditionalist
Adjective
  • King’s indifference to orthodox formats enables formal mischief.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For a period, Pakistan deployed a 7-2 offside field against Cox to try and build some pressure, with a struggling Khurram Shahzad lacking the accuracy and rhythm to trouble him in more orthodox ways.
    — Ben Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of orthodox
Adjective
  • Staying upstairs is the quiet advantage with no lines, just an elevator ride to a nightcap under all that light.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Margot has left her field, and has moved to Hungary with her equestrian husband Sam (Rupert Friend), an uprooting that manifests as quiet disconnects between them.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of quiet
Adjective
  • Getting to that point required careful control of stress during fabrication.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of careful
Noun
  • In fact, he’s decided to go all the way from an angry leftist to a very angry rightist.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That is, rightists who oppose aid to Ukraine tend to be skeptical of Israel and at least open to having anti-Semites in the Republican coalition.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of rightist

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Cite this Entry

“Conservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conservative. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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