tory

tory — noun

1. in British politics, somebody who belongs to or votes for the Conservative Party

1.nounB2
Definition

in British politics, somebody who belongs to or votes for the Conservative Party, especially in everyday speech and in newspaper headlines.

Example

Hugo has voted Tory in every general election since he turned eighteen.

vote Tory (no article)

The new Tory MP for Brighton promised lower taxes and stricter border rules.

Tory + noun: Tory MP / Tory voter

Common collocations
  • lifelong Tory
  • Tory MP
  • Tory voter
  • Tory backbencher
  • vote Tory
Synonyms
  • Conservative

    the formal name; safer in essays and official writing

  • right-winger

    broader; includes other right-leaning parties, not only the Conservatives

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

Tory + noun (e.g. Tory MP, Tory voter)

Usage Note

Always written with a capital T. Common in British newspapers and on radio because it is shorter than 'Conservative'; the official party name is still preferred in formal documents.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is a tory.
My uncle is a Tory.
capitalise the T when it refers to the party.
She voted for Tory at the last election.
She voted Tory at the last election.
use 'vote Tory' without 'for' or 'a'.

2. in British history, somebody who belonged to a political group between roughly 1

2.nounC1
Definition

in British history, somebody who belonged to a political group between roughly 1680 and 1832 that wanted the king or queen to keep strong powers and parliament to have less.

Example

In the eighteenth century, many country landowners were Tories who feared losing power to merchants.

historical context phrase: 'in the eighteenth century'

The Tories of 1710 fought hard against any limit on royal authority.

the Tories of [year] — historical reference

Common collocations
  • the old Tories
  • Tory and Whig
  • early Tories
  • high Tory
Synonyms
  • royalist

    wider term for any supporter of strong royal power, not tied to one party

Antonyms
  • Whig

    the rival historical party that wanted parliament, not the king, to hold real power

Grammar Patterns

the Tories (collective use)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 by date and context: this sense only applies to the period before about 1832. After parliamentary reform, the same group became known as the Conservatives. Often paired with 'Whig' for contrast.

Common Mistakes

Margaret Thatcher was an eighteenth-century Tory.
Margaret Thatcher was a modern Tory (Conservative).
the historical Tory sense ended around 1832.

3. in Canadian politics, somebody who belongs to or votes for the country's main ri

3.nounC1
Definition

in Canadian politics, somebody who belongs to or votes for the country's main right-of-centre party, currently the Conservative Party of Canada.

Example

Rodrigo grew up in Calgary, where most of his neighbours were Tories.

Canadian-specific context (city + Tory)

The Toronto debate was heated, with Tories arguing for lower carbon taxes.

Canadian usage in news contexts

Common collocations
  • federal Tories
  • provincial Tory
  • Tory leader
  • Tory caucus
Synonyms
  • Conservative

    the official party name in Canada

  • PC

    short for Progressive Conservative; used for some provincial parties in Canada

Antonyms
  • Liberal

    the main centre-left rival in Canadian federal politics

Grammar Patterns

Tory + noun (Canadian context)

Usage Note

Often signalled by Canadian place names (Ottawa, Calgary, Ontario) or institutions (provincial assembly, House of Commons in Canada). Without these clues, readers usually default to the British meaning in sense 1.

4. in American history, a colonist who took the side of the British king during the

4.nounC1
Definition

in American history, a colonist who took the side of the British king during the war of independence (1775–1783) instead of fighting for the new United States.

Example

Folake's school project compared Tories in New York to revolutionaries in Boston.

Tories in [American place] — US Revolutionary context

Many Tories lost their farms and sailed to Canada once the war ended in 1783.

specific date (1783) anchors the sense

Common collocations
  • American Tories
  • suspected Tory
  • Tory sympathizer
  • Tories and patriots
Synonyms
  • loyalist

    the standard term in modern US history writing; less old-fashioned than Tory

Antonyms
  • patriot

    American colonist who fought for independence from Britain

  • rebel

    term used by the British for the colonists who rose up

Grammar Patterns

the Tories (collective, in US history)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 by historical setting (American Revolution, 1775–1783). In modern American writing, 'loyalist' is now more common than 'Tory' for this meaning, but 'Tory' still appears in school history books.

Common Mistakes

During the Civil War, many Americans were Tories.
During the Revolutionary War, many Americans were Tories.
this sense is tied only to the American Revolution, not later wars.

tory — adjective

Word family

  • Toryism
    nounC2
  • Conservative
    nounB2
  • Conservative
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words can describe somebody on the political right, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Conservative' is the neutral, official label and is preferred in formal writing about the UK party (a Conservative MP, the Conservative manifesto). 'Tory' is the everyday, headline-friendly word used in newspapers, on radio, and in casual talk; many people (including supporters) say 'I vote Tory' but 'Conservative voter' in a job interview. 'Right-winger' is broader: any party or person on the right counts, not only the Conservatives, so it is useful when comparing several parties. 'Reactionary' is much harsher: it suggests that the person wants to undo modern reforms, and it is almost always an insult. Compare: 'a young Tory MP' (neutral, news), 'a Conservative cabinet minister' (formal), 'a far-right reactionary' (critical).

ToryConservativeright-wingerreactionary

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Tory party
  • Tory leader
  • Tory voter
  • Tory MP
  • Tory government
  • Tory backbencher

Adverbs

  • strongly Tory
  • deeply Tory
  • traditionally Tory

Phrases

  • the Tory faithful
  • a lifelong Tory
  • old-school Tory
  • true blue Tory

Prepositions

  • Tory in tone
  • Tory at heart
  • vote Tory in [election]

Etymology

IrishEnglish

The word came into English in the 1640s from the Irish 'tóraidhe', meaning a hunted man or outlaw. English officials used it as an insult for armed Catholic Irishmen who had been driven off their land. By the late 1670s, opponents in London turned the same insult on Members of Parliament who supported keeping the Catholic Duke of York as the next king. The targets accepted the name, and 'Tory' became the standard label for the more royalist political group, set against the 'Whigs'. The party's modern descendant in Britain is the Conservative Party, but 'Tory' has stayed in everyday use for over three centuries.