conservatize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowFormal, Academic, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “conservatize” mean?
to make something or someone adopt conservative principles, practices, or characteristics.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to make something or someone adopt conservative principles, practices, or characteristics.
Refers to the process of changing policies, institutions, organisations, or even personal beliefs to align with conservative ideology, which typically values tradition, limited government, free markets, and social stability.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used in both varieties but is slightly more prevalent in American political commentary. The spelling '-ize' is standard in American English; British English also accepts '-ise' ('conservatise'), though '-ize' remains correct per Oxford style.
Connotations
The term often carries a political or ideological charge. It can be used neutrally to describe a process, but depending on context, it may imply criticism (a forceful imposition of ideology) or approval (a necessary return to sound principles).
Frequency
Extremely rare in both corpora, but when it appears, it is more likely in American political science or media discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “conservatize” in a Sentence
NP V NP (transitive): The new leader sought to conservatize the party's platform.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “conservatize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Critics accused the government of trying to conservatise the national curriculum.
- The broadcasting reforms were seen as an attempt to conservatize the BBC.
American English
- The administration's goal was to conservatize the federal judiciary.
- Some argue that the media conglomerate has conservatized its news coverage.
adjective
British English
- The conservatizing impulse within the party grew stronger.
- They noted a conservatising trend in social attitudes.
American English
- He wrote about the conservatizing effects of economic anxiety.
- The think tank promoted a conservatizing agenda.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used in analysis of corporate culture shifting towards risk-aversion and traditional hierarchy. 'The new CEO's strategy was to conservatize the company's investment portfolio.'
Academic
Most common in political science, sociology, and media studies. 'The paper examines the decade-long campaign to conservatize the federal courts.'
Everyday
Virtually never used. A speaker would say 'make more conservative' instead.
Technical
Used as a specific term in political analysis to describe a deliberate ideological shift.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “conservatize”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “conservatize”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “conservatize”
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'The party conservatized.' is incomplete; it needs an object or implied object). Confusing it with 'conserve' (to save).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is a legitimate, though rare, verb found in dictionaries. It is formed by adding the verb-forming suffix '-ize' to the adjective 'conservative'.
'Conserve' means to protect something from harm or loss (e.g., conserve energy, conserve wildlife). 'Conservatize' is specifically about imposing conservative ideology or characteristics on something.
Yes, the related noun is 'conservatization' (or 'conservatisation'), though it is even rarer than the verb.
Yes, though less common. For example, 'His years in the military conservatized his worldview.' It means to make a person more conservative in their views.
to make something or someone adopt conservative principles, practices, or characteristics.
Conservatize is usually formal, academic, journalistic in register.
Conservatize: in British English it is pronounced /kənˈsɜː.və.taɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /kənˈsɝː.və.taɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A political party gets a new, very TRADITIONAL leader. To CONVERT and ORGANIZE it under his views is to CONSERVATIZE it.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL CHANGE IS A JOURNEY (shifting to the right); IDEOLOGY IS A SUBSTANCE (imbuing an institution with conservatism).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'to conservatize' MOST appropriately used?