conservatism

[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiz-uhm]

noun

1. the disposition to preserve or restore what is established and traditional and to limit change.

2. the principles and practices of political conservatives.

conservatism

¹

/ kənˈsɜːvəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. opposition to change and innovation

2. a political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change

Conservatism

²

/ kənˈsɜːvəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. the form of conservatism advocated by the Conservative Party

2. the policies, doctrines, or practices of the Conservative Party

conservatism

1. A general preference for the existing order of society, and an opposition to efforts to bring about sharp change. (Compare liberalism.)

Other Word Forms

• anticonservatism noun
• hyperconservatism noun
• overconservatism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conservatism¹

First recorded in 1825–35; conservat(ive) + -ism

Example Sentences

It has precedent in the last 100 years of the history of conservatism, which, for a time, was not just in the Republican Party, but also included the Jim Crow Southern Democrats.

From Salon

Mushtaq's stories, including in Heart Lamp, focus on the challenges women, especially Muslim women, face due to religious conservatism and a deeply patriarchal society.

From BBC

The book sets out Vance's developing political ideas as it charts his move towards conservatism.

From BBC

Audiences are clamoring for great theatrical comedies, but laughter shouldn’t come at the cost of progressiveness, especially in a moment when so much of the media is willfully regressing toward conservatism.

From Salon

Instead, they typically reposition themselves as the immovable axis of correct values, and denounce their former ideological fellow travelers as heretics who profaned true conservatism.

From Salon

Related Words

• moderation 
• orthodoxy