conservative

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: Con=serv=a=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

conservative, a. [Cf. F. conservatif.].

•  Having power to preserve in a safe of entire state, or from loss, waste, or injury; preservative.  [1913 Webster]
•  Tending or disposed to maintain existing institutions; opposed to change or innovation.  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to a political party which favors the conservation of existing institutions and forms of government, as the Conservative party in England; -- contradistinguished from Liberal and Radical.  [1913 Webster]

  "We have always been conscientiously attached to what is called the Tory, and which might with more propriety be called the Conservative, party."  [1913 Webster]

Conservative system (Mech.), a material system of such a nature that after the system has undergone any series of changes, and been brought back in any manner to its original state, the whole work done by external agents on the system is equal to the whole work done by the system overcoming external forces.

conservative, n. 

•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  One who desires to maintain existing institutions and customs; also, one who holds moderate opinions in politics; -- opposed to revolutionary or radical.  [1913 Webster]
•  A member of the Conservative party.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

conservative, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a averse to rapid change. b (of views, taste, etc.) moderate, avoiding extremes (conservative in his dress).
2 (of an estimate etc.) purposely low; moderate, cautious.
3 (Conservative) of or characteristic of Conservatives or the Conservative Party.
4 tending to conserve.
--n.
1 a conservative person.
2 (Conservative) a supporter or member of the Conservative Party.

Idiom

Conservative Judaism Judaism allowing only minor changes in traditional ritual etc. Conservative Party
1 a British political party promoting free enterprise and private ownership.
2 a similar party elsewhere. conservative surgery surgery that seeks to preserve tissues as far as possible.

Derivative

conservatism n. conservatively adv. conservativeness n.

Etymology

ME f. LL conservativus (as conserve)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

conservative

n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.

THESAURUS

conservative

Bircher, Bourbon, Epistle side, Methuselah, Tory, antediluvian, antique, back number, backward, bitter-ender, careful, cautious, centrist, chary, circumspect, clockwise, compromiser, conformist, conservational, conservationist, conservatist, conservatory, conserving, controlled, conventional, dad, decanal side, dexter, dextral, dextrocardial, dextrocerebral, dextrocular, dextrogyrate, dextrogyratory, dextropedal, dextrorotary, dextrorse, die-hard, diehard, discreet, dodo, elder, extreme right-winger, fogy, fogyish, fossil, fud, fuddy-duddy, fundamentalist, granny, hard hat, has-been, hidebound, imperialist, keeping, laudator temporis acti, longhair, matriarch, mid-Victorian, middle-of-the-road, middle-of-the-roader, moderate, moderationist, moderatist, monarchist, mossback, neutral, nonprogressive, off, old believer, old crock, old dodo, old fogy, old liner, old man, old poop, old school, old woman, old-fashioned, old-fogyish, old-line, old-timer, opposed to change, orthodox, patriarch, politic, pop, pops, preservative, preservatory, preserving, proper, protective, prudent, radical right, reactionarist, reactionary, reactionist, reasonable, recto, regular old fogy, relic, restrained, right, right field, right hand, right of center, right side, right wing, right-hand, right-wing, right-winger, right-wingish, rightist, royalist, saving, sober, social Darwinist, square, stable, standard, standpat, standpatter, starboard, starboard tack, starets, stick-in-the-mud, temperate, tory, traditional, traditionalist, traditionalistic, true-blue, ultraconservative, unexcessive, unextravagant, unextreme, unprogressive, wary

ROGET THESAURUS

conservative

Preservation

N preservation, safe-keeping, conservation, maintenance, support, susteritation, conservatism, vis conservatrix, salvation, prophylaxis, preserver, preservative, additive, antibiotics, antifungals, biocide, hygiastics, hygiantics, cover, drugget, cordon sanitaire, canning, ensilage, tinned goods, canned goods, snake oil, spider webs, cure-all, laetrile, charm, preserving, conservative, prophylactic, preservatory, preservative, hygienic, preserved, unimpaired, unbroken, uninjured, unhurt, unsinged, unmarred, safe, safe and sound, intact, with a whole skin, nolumus leges Angliae mutari.

Permanence

N permanence, stability, quiescence, obstinacy, permanence, persistence, endurance, durability, standing, status quo, maintenance, preservation, conservation, conservation, law of the Medes and Persians, standing dish, stable, persisting, permanent, established, unchanged &c (change), renewed, intact, inviolate, persistent, monotonous, uncheckered, unfailing, undestroyed, unrepealed, unsuppressed, conservative, qualis ab incepto, prescriptive, stationary, in statu quo, for good, finally, at a stand, at a standstill, uti possidetis, without a shadow of turning, esto perpetua, nolumus leges Angliae mutari, j'y suis et j'y ereste.