On the whole, the older a man grows, the more conservative he becomes.
Source: tatoeba (21815)
Conservative
/kənˈsɜːvətɪv/
Synonyms for "conservative" (280 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (56)
Adjective(17 words)
cautiousanalog traditionalistanti revolutionaryantirevolutionaryantirevolutionary stancebourgeoisbutton-downbuttoned-downcareful irrigationclassical art techniqueclassical history scholarshipclassical philosophyclosefistedconformistconventional methodcrotchetycultural resistance
antediluvianantiqueback numberbackwardbigotedbircherbitter-enderbourboncarefulcautiouscentristcharycircumspectclockwisecompromiserconformistconservationalconservationistconservatistconservatory
Show 13 more words
Noun(5 words)
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (84)
dextropedaldextrorotarydextrorsedie harddie-harddieharddiscreetdodoeconomicalelderepistle sideextremeextreme right-wingerfogyfogyishfossilfrugalfudfuddy duddyfuddy-duddy
Show 41 more words
fundamentalistgrannyhard hathas beenhas-beenheelerhideboundimperialistkeepinglabouritelaudator temporis actilonghairloyalistmatriarchmethuselahmid victorianmid-victorianmiddle-of-the-roadmiddle-of-the-roadermoderatemoderationistmoderatistmonarchistmossbacknarrow-mindedneutralnonprogressiveoffold believerold crockold dodoold fogyold lineold linerold manold poopold schoolold timerold womanold-fashionedold-fogyish
Noun(9 words)
dutch conservatiefenvironmental collapsefogeysfundygoldwatermass balancemcclellanmost oldfashionedneoconservative
Adjective(12 words)
faintheartedfiscal activityfustiestinertialinstructional traditionjudiciouslow risk investormaterialisticmoderatemodest amountmoral regressionnonoperative treatment
Verb(2 words)
Related words (140)
old-lineold-timeropposed to changeorthodoxparochialpartisanparty faithfulparty hackparty manparty memberparty wheelhorsepatriarchpoliticpoppopspreservativepreservatorypreservingproperprotective
Show 60 more words
prudentpullbackpuristradical rightreactionaristreactionaryreactionistreasonablerectoregistered democratregistered republicanregularregular old fogyrelicrepublicanrestrainedrightright fieldright handright of centerright sideright wingright wingerright-handright-wingright-wingerright-wingishrightistroyalistsafesavingslowsobersocial darwinistsoundsquarestablestalwartstandardstandpatstandpatterstarboardstarboard tackstaretsstick-in-the-mudtemperatetorytraditionaltraditionalisttraditionalistictrue-blueultraconservativeunexcessiveunextravagantunextremeunprogressiveward heelerwarywheelhorsewhig
Adjective(37 words)
orthodoxovercautiouspolitical conservativepre revolution eraprissiestprudentprudent personprudentialpuritanicalright-wingrisk averse investorrisk-avoiderscleroticsobersidedspanish conservadorstaiderstatus-quo policiesstodgierstodgiestsustainable practice
Show 17 more words
swedish konservativthermidorian reactiontradition based educationtradition based methodtraditionaltraditional arttraditional concepttraditional holidaystraditional lawtraditional methodtraditionalisttweediertweediestunenlightenedunimaginativeunreconstructeduptight
Noun(23 words)
ossifyingpolitical status quoportuguese conservadorpreppiepuristsreactionariesrearguardreform resistantrightistsrisk averse personschool clothingsobersidesspring energy conservingstatus quo biasstatus quo defenderstatus-quo stanceteaching caveattradtradition basedtradition based learning
Show 3 more words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cautious, analog traditionalist, antediluvian, anti revolutionary, antique.
- Sentence evidence is available for conservative, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "conservative".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "conservative"
Keep "conservative" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "conservative" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "conservative", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "conservative" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
14 entriesMore specific
10 entriescapital preserving investoreconomic conservativefiscal conservatismlow risk investorneoconservativeorthodox stanceprudent typerisk-avoidersocial conservatismtraditionalist
Collocations
10 entriesconservative approachconservative dressconservative estimateconservative ideologyconservative partyconservative politicsconservative stanceconservative valuesconservative voterpolitical conservative
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
2 entriessimilar
14 entriesTranslations
36 translations across 25 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- պահպանողական noun (political conservative)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- mühafizəkar noun (political conservative)
Belarusian
1 entries- кансерва́тар noun (political conservative)
Bulgarian
1 entries- консерватор noun (Canadian conservative)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 保守派 noun (political conservative)
Finnish
3 entries- konservatiivi noun (political conservative)
- konservatiivi noun (Canadian conservative)
- vanhoillinen noun (political conservative)
French
3 entries- conservateur noun (political conservative)
- conservateur noun (Canadian conservative)
- conservatrice noun (political conservative)
Georgian
1 entries- კონსერვატორი noun (political conservative)
German
1 entries- Konservativer noun (political conservative)
Greek
1 entries- συντηρητικός noun (political conservative)
Hebrew
2 entries- שמרן noun (political conservative)
- שמרנית noun (political conservative)
Hungarian
1 entries- konzervatív noun (political conservative)
Irish
2 entries- coimeádach noun (political conservative)
- coimeádaí noun (political conservative)
Italian
2 entries- conservatore noun (political conservative)
- conservatrice noun (political conservative)
Japanese
1 entries- 保守派 noun (political conservative)
Korean
2 entries- 보수주의자 noun (political conservative)
- 보수파 noun (political conservative)
Malay
1 entries- konservatif noun (political conservative)
Manx
2 entries- cumaadagh noun (political conservative)
- cumaadagh noun (Canadian conservative)
Polish
1 entries- konserwatywny noun (political conservative)
Portuguese
1 entries- conservador noun (political conservative)
Romanian
2 entries- conservatoare noun (political conservative)
- conservator noun (political conservative)
Russian
2 entries- консерва́тор noun (political conservative)
- консерва́тор noun (Canadian conservative)
Spanish
1 entries- conservador noun (political conservative)
Swedish
1 entries- konservativ noun (political conservative)
Ukrainian
1 entries- консерва́тор noun (political conservative)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
On the whole, the Japanese are conservative.
Source: tatoeba (21816)
The English are generally a conservative people.
Source: tatoeba (26134)
Englishmen are, on the whole, conservative.
Source: tatoeba (26135)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "conservative"?
Closest matches include cautious, analog traditionalist, antediluvian, anti revolutionary, antique.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "conservative"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.