conservative
conservative — adjective
1. holding established customs, social practices, and beliefs in high regard, and b
holding established customs, social practices, and beliefs in high regard, and being slow to accept new or different ways of doing things.
Megan's grandparents are quite conservative and still listen to the same radio shows they enjoyed fifty years ago.
collocation: quite conservative
The village holds conservative views on family matters and prefers long-standing traditions over modern changes.
collocation: conservative views on [topic]
Hamza chose a conservative career path in banking instead of pursuing his passion for art.
Many conservative voters worry that new technology will replace jobs in their community.
Folake's father is conservative about education and believes schools should teach the same basic subjects.
- traditional
focuses on customs passed down through generations; less political than conservative
- conventional
follows widely accepted social norms; lacks the emotional charge of conservative
- old-fashioned
suggests something is out of date; often carries a mildly negative tone
- progressive
actively supports social change and new ideas
- radical
favours extreme or fundamental change
用法筆記
Can express either positive respect for stability or negative resistance to progress, depending on context.
常見錯誤
2. choosing plain, traditional, or modest clothing, hairstyles, and grooming styles
choosing plain, traditional, or modest clothing, hairstyles, and grooming styles instead of following current fashion trends.
For her job interview, Eve wore a conservative gray suit without any jewelry.
collocation: conservative suit / conservative dress
Xiu prefers conservative clothing and never buys anything with bright colours or unusual patterns.
The school's dress code requires conservative hairstyles without extreme colours or cuts.
Sari chose a conservative wedding dress with long sleeves and a simple neckline.
用法筆記
Often used for professional or formal settings where flashy or revealing clothing is considered inappropriate.
常見錯誤
3. deliberately kept low, moderate, or cautious so as not to overstate the actual f
deliberately kept low, moderate, or cautious so as not to overstate the actual figure — used of numbers, guesses, calculations, or predictions.
The builder gave a conservative estimate of twelve thousand dollars for the roof repairs.
collocation: conservative estimate
Even by conservative calculations, over thirty thousand people attended the festival.
collocation: by conservative calculations
Her conservative guess of six months for the project turned out to be exactly right.
The report used conservative figures that were much lower than the opposition's claims.
Dylan said a conservative price for the car would be around eight thousand pounds.
- cautious
broader — can describe any action; less tied to numbers
- moderate
suggests a middle position; not deliberately low
- understated
suggests intentionally playing down the true figure
用法筆記
Applies only to measurable quantities — prices, distances, times, numbers of people. Not used for general cautiousness in action.
常見錯誤
4. relating to the political right and supporting policies that emphasize free mark
relating to the political right and supporting policies that emphasize free markets, limited government involvement, and traditional social values.
The conservative party won the election by promising lower taxes for small businesses.
collocation: conservative party
Nicholas comes from a conservative family that has always voted for the same political party.
Conservative lawmakers argued for reduced government spending on social programs.
Alessia joined a conservative youth group to discuss politics and community service.
- right-wing
more general term for the political right; can describe extreme positions
- Republican
US-specific; not all Republicans are conservatives and vice versa
- liberal
favours government intervention and social change
- left-wing
the political left
- progressive
actively supports social reform
用法筆記
When capitalised (Conservative), refers specifically to the British Conservative Party. Lowercase (conservative) refers to general centre-right political views worldwide.
常見錯誤
conservative — noun
1. a person whose political allegiance is with a party that promotes conservative p
a person whose political allegiance is with a party that promotes conservative policies, such as the British Conservative Party or its international counterpart.
Gabriel has been a conservative all his life and worked for the party headquarters for twenty years.
collocation: a conservative (as noun)
The conservatives in parliament voted against the proposed tax increase last night.
plural form: the conservatives (party members)
Megan decided to run for local council as a conservative because she believed in smaller government.
Many young conservatives attended the annual conference to hear the leader's speech.
- right-winger
informal; broader and can include more extreme positions
- Tory
British-specific informal term for a member of the Conservative Party
- liberal
a person who supports progressive policies
- left-winger
a person on the political left
用法筆記
In the UK, a Conservative (capital C) is a member or supporter of the Conservative and Unionist Party. In the US, a conservative often aligns with the Republican Party.
常見錯誤
2. a person who prefers established values, methods, and social structures and tend
a person who prefers established values, methods, and social structures and tends to resist new ideas or unfamiliar ways of living.
Samir is a conservative when it comes to food — he only eats dishes his grandmother taught him.
pattern: a conservative when it comes to [topic]
The school principal is a conservative who insists that students wear uniforms every day.
Heloísa's uncle is a conservative who thinks young people should learn the same skills their parents learned.
Grandmother is a conservative who prefers handwritten letters to emails and text messages.
- traditionalist
strongly committed to customs; often more deliberate about preserving traditions
- stick-in-the-mud
informal; negative tone, suggests unwillingness to try anything new
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun/1 (POLITICAL SUPPORTER): this sense describes social/cultural conservatism and does not imply any particular party affiliation.