1. a political philosophy that favors traditional values and institutions and opposes rapid change
2. the tendency to prefer existing conditions and to resist change

Examples

• His political conservatism influenced his voting decisions.
• The party’s conservatism appealed to older voters.
• She criticized the conservatism of the school board.
• Economic conservatism emphasizes free markets and limited government.
• The judge’s conservatism was evident in his rulings.
• Cultural conservatism seeks to preserve traditional social values.
• His conservatism made him skeptical of new teaching methods.