What does conservatise mean?
Conservatise is a comparatively rare verb meaning to make someone or something more conservative in outlook, character, or ideology. It applies most often to people, political parties, institutions, electorates, or policies that shift toward traditional or right-leaning positions over time. The word functions as the ideological counterpart of 'radicalise': just as radicalising describes driving individuals or groups toward revolutionary extremes, conservatising describes steering them toward conservatism. It is used chiefly in British political journalism and academic commentary on party politics, media influence, and social change, and it usually carries an analytical or faintly critical tone. A typical sentence might observe that years of economic upheaval tended to conservatise the voting public, or that commentators accused an outlet of attempting to conservatise national debate. Though uncommon, it fills a genuine lexical gap for describing ideological drift toward conservatism.
verbTo make a person, institution, or policy more conservative in outlook or character.
- To cause a person, group, institution, or policy to become more conservative in ideology or character.
"The new leadership worked steadily to conservatise the party's platform ahead of the election."
"Years of economic crisis served to conservatise the electorate."
"Critics accused the broadcaster of trying to conservatise public debate."
While 'radicalise' gets all the headlines, its quieter mirror 'conservatise' describes the same transformation pointed in the opposite direction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conservatise
Conservatise derives from 'conservative', which entered English from French in the early nineteenth century as a political term, ultimately rooted in the Latin 'conservare' meaning 'to preserve or keep intact'. The '-ise' suffix, borrowed through French from Latin '-izare' (itself of Greek origin), forms verbs denoting making or rendering something into a stated condition. The word thus belongs to a productive English pattern alongside verbs such as 'radicalise' and 'secularise'.
Related word forms
How conservatise is actually used
Chiefly British usage; relatively rare and typically appears in political commentary and journalism rather than everyday speech. Often used with an implied critical or analytical tone when discussing shifts in institutions or public opinion.
Easily confused with conservatise
'Conserve' means to protect or save something from harm or waste, while 'conservatise' means to make something ideologically conservative.