conservatism

noun

kən-ˈsər-və-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce conservatism (audio)
Definition of conservatismnext
as in conservativeness
attitudes or opinions tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions the state's well-known conservatism means that progressive legislation always has an uphill battle

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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 conservatism Now much of their thinking has infiltrated nu-conservatism, and the rest of us have been forced to learn about Braden Peters, better known as Clavicular—the king of the looksmaxxing sphere. — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026 For them, the future of American conservatism should be rooted in a patriarchal version of Christianity and an unapologetic ethnonationalism. — Charlie Sabgir, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 The overall design philosophy was one of deliberate conservatism; at every methodological decision point, the team chose the more cautious estimate, ensuring that the final numbers would be credible and defensible rather than optimistic. — Nino Letteriello, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Although much tradwife social content is not overtly political, the tradwife trend is strongly correlated with political conservatism, and some content openly spreads anti-feminist sentiment and far-right values and conspiracy theories. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for conservatism

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conservations
conservatism
conservative
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Cite this Entry

“Conservatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conservatism. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on conservatism

Nglish: Translation of conservatism for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about conservatism

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