conservatism
right-leaning political philosophy
A political belief that society should keep many traditional values and institutions and avoid sudden major change.
conservatism; conservatism in [country]; a brand/strain/form of conservatism
- Her research examines the growth of conservatism in American politics after the 1970s.
- The party tried to present a softer form of conservatism to younger voters.
- His conservatism combines support for free markets with a strong emphasis on national tradition.
- Conservatism is an important force in many elections.
- His parents support conservatism, but he is more progressive.
preference for tradition
A habit of liking old or familiar ways and not wanting things to change quickly.
conservatism about [something]; conservatism in [institution/style/approach]
- There is a lot of institutional conservatism in the legal profession.
- The redesign failed partly because of customers' conservatism about familiar products.
- Her taste in clothes shows a quiet conservatism: simple cuts, dark colors, and no trends.
- His conservatism makes him nervous about new technology.
- The school changed slowly because of its conservatism.
cautious low-risk approach
Careful decision-making that uses safer assumptions instead of optimistic ones.
conservatism in [estimate/model/valuation/forecast]; build conservatism into [something]
- The budget includes some conservatism in its revenue forecasts.
- Regulators welcomed the bank's conservatism in valuing risky assets.
- The model's conservatism reduced false positives but missed a few real cases.
- We used conservatism in the sales forecast.
- A little conservatism can protect the company from surprises.
- Base: conservatism
- Plural: conservatism
accounting conservatism
1cautious accounting rule
A cautious accounting rule that records bad news earlier than good news.
- Accounting conservatism requires the company to recognize the likely loss before the lawsuit is settled.
- Investors sometimes value accounting conservatism because it reduces the risk of overstated profits.
compassionate conservatism
1conservative social concern
A kind of conservatism that says conservative ideas can also help people in need.
- The campaign used the language of compassionate conservatism to reach moderate voters.
- Critics argued that compassionate conservatism sounded generous but did not provide enough public support.
cultural conservatism
1protecting cultural traditions
The belief that a culture should protect its traditional values and ways of life.
- The debate reflected a wider mood of cultural conservatism in the country.
- His cultural conservatism made him suspicious of global entertainment trends.
fiscal conservatism
1government budget restraint
The belief that governments should spend and borrow carefully and avoid large debts.
- The candidate promised fiscal conservatism and a return to balanced budgets.
- Some voters liked her fiscal conservatism but disagreed with her views on social policy.
national conservatism
1nationalist conservative politics
A kind of conservatism that puts the nation, borders, and national traditions at the center of politics.
- National conservatism has become more visible in several European elections.
- The speech combined national conservatism with promises to protect local industries.
one-nation conservatism
1British moderate conservatism
A British type of conservatism that says society should stay united and the rich should accept duties toward others.
- The prime minister described his agenda as one-nation conservatism.
- One-nation conservatism has often been contrasted with more market-driven forms of the ideology.
small-c conservatism
1nonparty conservative attitude
A conservative attitude in everyday life, not necessarily support for a conservative political party.
- Her small-c conservatism made her skeptical of reorganizing the school.
- He has a streak of small-c conservatism, even though he has never voted for the Conservative Party.
social conservatism
1traditional social values
The belief that society should keep traditional rules and values about family, religion, and personal behavior.
- The party's social conservatism appealed strongly to religious voters.
- Her economic views are moderate, but her social conservatism shapes her positions on education and family policy.