paleoconservative

noun

pa·​leo·​con·​ser·​va·​tive ˌpā-lē-ō-kən-ˈsər-və-tiv 

plural paleoconservatives

: a conservative supporting or promoting extreme political conservatism and social conservatism

The paleoconservatives were a major voice in the Republican Party for many years. … They adhere to the normal conservative triad of nationalism, free markets, and moral traditionalism, but they put greater weight on the nationalist leg of the stool—leading to a more strident form of anti-immigrant politics …, an isolationist foreign policy …, and a deep skepticism of economic globalization …

—Dylan Matthews

called also paleo, paleocon

paleoconservative adjective

a paleoconservative journal

paleoconservativism

ˌpā-lē-ō-kən-ˈsər-və-ti-ˌvi-zəm 

noun

Synonyms

• archconservative
• conservative
• reactionary
• right-winger
• rightist
• Tory
• traditionalist

Examples of paleoconservative in a Sentence

paleoconservatives who would never sanction gambling casinos in their state

Recent Examples on the Web

The New York Times columnist has penned an unusually smart article identifying the late paleoconservative writer Samuel T. Francis as a prophet of Trumpism. —Jeet Heer, New Republic, 22 Sep. 2017

In his final act of excommunication, Buckley took a stand against the paleoconservative Pat Buchanan in 1991 for expressing opposition to the Persian Gulf war in terms that were both incendiary and undeniably anti-Semitic. —Damon Linker, New York Times, 8 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

paleo- + conservative entry 2 (opposed to neoconservative)

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above