as in conservatives
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
a traditionalist who doesn't believe in expanding government
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Recent Examples of traditionalists
These traditionalists support overhauling the popular entitlement programs Medicare and Social Security, the health insurance and pension programs for seniors, respectively.
—
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
And yet, this unpredictability is precisely what traditionalists often love about the game.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Many traditionalists do not believe biblical teachings allow for women to hold roles such as bishop.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Country exists in two realities at once — the fiddles-and-steel-guitar traditionalists on one side and glossy crossovers on the other.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
For traditionalists like Coles, yachting means tailoring every element—menus, destinations, activities, even formality—to an owner or a charter guest, with the crew creating a familial experience usually limited to 12 passengers.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
In recent years there have been efforts to make the language more inclusive—for example, by adding an asterisk to the plural (Lehrer*innen) to include males, females, and those who identify as nonbinary—which have been opposed by traditionalists and far-right groups.
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Because love it or hate it — and all the doubles players who were cut out of the action and the purists and traditionalists really did hate it — this week, on these two days, and especially Wednesday night, this was a pretty big hit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Optimists see faster, more consistent rulings; traditionalists fear a slippery slope toward outsourcing moral discernment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
And yet, this unpredictability is precisely what traditionalists often love about the game.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Many traditionalists do not believe biblical teachings allow for women to hold roles such as bishop.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Country exists in two realities at once — the fiddles-and-steel-guitar traditionalists on one side and glossy crossovers on the other.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
For traditionalists like Coles, yachting means tailoring every element—menus, destinations, activities, even formality—to an owner or a charter guest, with the crew creating a familial experience usually limited to 12 passengers.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
In recent years there have been efforts to make the language more inclusive—for example, by adding an asterisk to the plural (Lehrer*innen) to include males, females, and those who identify as nonbinary—which have been opposed by traditionalists and far-right groups.
—Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025
Because love it or hate it — and all the doubles players who were cut out of the action and the purists and traditionalists really did hate it — this week, on these two days, and especially Wednesday night, this was a pretty big hit.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
Optimists see faster, more consistent rulings; traditionalists fear a slippery slope toward outsourcing moral discernment.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traditionalists
conservatives
Noun
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The state assemblymember has been celebrated by many young progressives as well as endorsed by top Democrats, while criticized by conservatives and some moderates concerned about what the city would look like under his leadership.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The videos align with conservatives’ push to teach a positive view of America’s past and with the state’s rules on teaching about race and gender.—
Jennifer Smith Richards,
ProPublica,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Traditionalists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traditionalists. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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