English · Word Candidate

conservative

/kənˈsɜːvətɪv/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: conservatives

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người ủng hộ việc giữ nguyên trạng quo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, this commitment brought him into frequent critical confrontation with entrenched forms of conservative thinking (in academic areas from history and social science to the more abstract domains of ethical and political philosophy),[…]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người tìm cách thúc đẩy hoặc bảo tồn các giá trị hoặc thể chế truyền thống

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

If there’s a down side to the film, it’s that “Soros” probably doesn’t devote enough time to the way its subject has become a favorite bogeyman to conservatives that paint him as the guiding hand behind grassroots campaigns by those intent on discrediting them.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Cautious, moderate.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cẩn thận, vừa phải

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Tending to resist change or innovation.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Kháng lại sự thay đổi hoặc đổi mới

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The curriculum committee at this university is extremely conservative.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “conservative” mean?

A person who favors maintenance of the status quo.

Is “conservative” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.