conservative

CEFRB1

/kənˈsɜːvətɪv/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Preferring traditional ideas and avoiding sudden change.

  2. 02

    noun

    A person who supports conservative ideas.

Examples

  • On the whole, the Japanese are conservative.

  • On the whole, the older a man grows, the more conservative he becomes.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /kənˈzɜːvətɪv/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. One who seeks to promote or preserve traditional values or institutions.

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

  2. One who seeks to promote traditions in a particular domain (e.g. a fiscal conservative or a social conservative).

More examples

In context

  • At a conservative estimate, growth may even be negative next year.

  • The chef added a conservative amount of salt to the dish.

  • The curriculum committee at this university is extremely conservative.

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

My grandfather is very blank and refuses to install any modern appliances in his home.

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Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from Middle French conservatif, from Latin cōnservō (“to preserve”). Equivalent to conserve + -ative.