conservative

conservative
[[t]kənsɜ͟ː(r)vətɪv[/t]]
♦♦
conservatives
(The spelling Conservative is also used for meaning 1.)
1) ADJ 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.

Syn:
N-COUNT
Conservative is also a noun.

In 1951 the Conservatives were returned to power.

2) ADJ-GRADED Someone who is conservative has right-wing views.

...counties whose citizens invariably support the most conservative candidate in any election.

Syn:
N-COUNT
Conservative is also a noun.

The new judge is 50-year-old David Suitor who's regarded as a conservative.

3) ADJ-GRADED Someone who is conservative or has conservative ideas is unwilling to accept changes and new ideas.

People tend to be more aggressive when they're young and more conservative as they get older...

It is essentially a narrow and conservative approach to child care.

Syn:
4) ADJ-GRADED 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.

Derived words:
conservatively ADV-GRADED ADV with v

She was always very conservatively dressed when we went out.

5) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A conservative estimate or guess is one in which you are cautious and estimate or guess a low amount which is probably less that the real amount.

A conservative estimate of the bill, so far, is about ₤22,000...

This guess is probably on the conservative side.

Derived words:
conservatively ADV-GRADED ADV with v

The bequest is conservatively estimated at ₤30 million.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • conservative — [kən sʉr′və tiv] adj. [OFr conservatif < LL conservativus] 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,… …   English World dictionary

  • conservative — con‧ser‧va‧tive [kənˈsɜːvətɪv ǁ ɜːr ] adjective 1. careful to avoid taking risks: • He would be better taking a conservative approach to his new mortgage and opting for a fixed rate. 2. careful not to state a value or amount to be bigger or… …   Financial and business terms

  • conservative — ► ADJECTIVE 1) averse to change and holding traditional values. 2) (in a political context) favouring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially conservative ideas. 3) (Conservative) relating to a Conservative Party. 4) (of an estimate)… …   English terms dictionary

  • conservative — late 14c., conservatyf, from M.Fr. conservatif, from L.L. conservativus, from L. conservatus, pp. of conservare (see CONSERVE (Cf. conserve)). As a modern political tradition, conservatism traces to Edmund Burke s opposition to the French… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Conservative — Con*serv a*tive, a. [Cf. F. conservatif.] 1. Having power to preserve in a safe of entire state, or from loss, waste, or injury; preservative. [1913 Webster] 2. Tending or disposed to maintain existing institutions; opposed to change or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Conservative — Con*serv a*tive, n. 1. One who, or that which, preserves from ruin, injury, innovation, or radical change; a preserver; a conserver. [1913 Webster] The Holy Spirit is the great conservative of the new life. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster] 2. One who… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • conservative — in the meaning ‘moderate, cautious, low’, as in a conservative estimate, is one of Fowler s lost causes. He regarded it as a ridiculous ‘slipshod extension’ and rejected it outright. But it is now well established in the language and is… …   Modern English usage

  • conservative — [adj] cautious, moderate, tending to preserve the status quo bourgeois, constant, controlled, conventional, die hard, fearful, firm, fogyish*, fuddy duddy*, guarded, hard hat*, hidebound, holding to, illiberal, in a rut*, inflexible, middle of… …   New thesaurus

  • conservative — index frugal, guarded, illiberal, orthodox, protective, uncompromising Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Conservative — The Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement (also called The Coalition: Our Programme For Government) was a policy document drawn up following the 2010 general election in the United Kingdom. It formed the terms of reference governing …   Wikipedia

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