As an adjective, conservative means preferring traditional ways and being cautious about change. As a noun, it refers to a person with such political or social views.
From Latin *conservare* "to keep, preserve," via French. It originally described people or policies aimed at preserving existing institutions.
At its core, being conservative is about guarding what already exists—like a museum curator for traditions. The exact beliefs called "conservative" can change over time, even though the word itself suggests resisting change.
‘Conservative’ describes political and social ideologies that have, in some contexts, supported traditional gender roles and opposed certain expansions of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. However, many women also identify as conservative and have shaped conservative movements.
Use ‘conservative’ descriptively for ideas or affiliations, not as a gendered insult. Avoid assuming that conservative positions are held only by men or that all women share non-conservative views.
["traditionalist (context-dependent)","right-leaning (in some systems)"]
Women have been influential in conservative parties, religious movements, and policy advocacy, even when their leadership was constrained by gender norms within those movements.
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