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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Recent Examples of conservatism
If conservatism is something of an inclination or disposition, leftism of the more radical sort is a form of all-consuming identity, one that fills vacuums in otherwise empty lives and comprehensively guides behavior.
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Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Right now the Republican Party is light-years away from that, and those who cherish conservatism should say so.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Conservative congregations are different from conservatism in the political sense, Honig explained, but the terms are often conflated.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
During reelection campaigns, Graham tends to emphasize his conservatism.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conservatism
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Right now the Republican Party is light-years away from that, and those who cherish conservatism should say so.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026
Conservative congregations are different from conservatism in the political sense, Honig explained, but the terms are often conflated.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
During reelection campaigns, Graham tends to emphasize his conservatism.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conservatism
Cite this Entry
“Conservatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conservatism. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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