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
Dylan Matthewscalled also paleo, paleocon
paleoconservative
adjective
a paleoconservative journal
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Paleoconservative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paleoconservative. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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