Meanings
tory1
- not comparableAlternative letter-case form of Tory.
Tory2
plural Tories
- UKgovernmentA member or supporter of the Conservative Party, which evolved from Royalist politicians; historically associated with upholding the rights of the monarchy and the privileges of the established Church.
Synonyms: Conservative · Antonyms: Whig
- broadlyOne who is like a British Tory; someone politically conservative.
Synonyms: conservative, small-c conservative
- CanadiangovernmentA member or supporter of the Conservative Party of Canada, one of that party's predecessors, or an affiliated provincial political party.
The latest Tory budget continued the trend begun in 2000 by making further small cuts in family income taxes.
2008, David Mutimer, Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs 2002, page 220Synonyms: Conservative, Progressive Conservative, PC, P.C.
- derogatoryhistoricalA member of the political factions that sought to prevent the exclusion of James, Duke of York, from the throne of England in the 17th century.
Antonyms: Exclusioner
- derogatoryhistoricalAn Irish rebel fighting against English rule at the end of the Confederate War and Cromwellian invasion; later extended to other rebels or bandits.
Ho! Master Teague, what is your story? / I went to the wood and kill’d a tory; / […] I hunted him in, and I hunted him out, / Three times through the bog, about and about; / When out of a bush I saw his head, / So I fired my gun, and I shot him dead.
1886, James Orchard Haliwell, The Nursery Rhymes of England, 5th edition, page 7 - UShistoricalA loyal British subject during the American Revolution.
Synonyms: loyalist, Loyalist, United Empire Loyalist, Royalist · Antonyms: Whig
- UShistoricalA Union sympathizer in the Confederate States during the American Civil War.
- UKnot comparablegovernmentOf or belonging to the Tory Party or the Conservative Party.
- Canadiannot comparablegovernmentOf or belonging to the Conservative Party of Canada, one of that party's predecessors, or an affiliated provincial political party.
Tory3
- A female given name.
- A male given name.
Tory4
- abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of Tory Island, County Donegal, Ireland.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA member or supporter of the Conservative Party, which evolved from Royalist politicians; historically associated with upholding the rights of the monarchy and the privileges of the established Church.
nounOne who is like a British Tory; someone politically conservative.
nounA member or supporter of the Conservative Party of Canada, one of that party's predecessors, or an affiliated provincial political party.
nounA member of the political factions that sought to prevent the exclusion of James, Duke of York, from the throne of England in the 17th century.
nounA loyal British subject during the American Revolution.
Origin
Tory · noun, adjective
- Irishtóraí“pursuer”
- EnglishTory
From Irish tóraí (“pursuer”), from tóir (“pursuit”). The first recorded use in English is from a 1646 letter by James Butler, Earl of Ormond, to a Colonel O'Brien, describing bandits and thieves on main roadways.
More words from Irish
Full word history & related roots →Tory · proper noun
Short for Victoria when used as a female name, and for Victor or Salvatore when used as a male name.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian консерватор
- консерватор (konservator)a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Chinese Mandarin 保守黨員 /保守党员
- 保守黨員 /保守党员 (bǎoshǒu dǎngyuán)a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
French Tory
- Torya member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
German Tory
- Torya member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Hungarian tory
- torya member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Irish Tóraí
- Tóraía member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Japanese トーリー, 保守党員
- トーリー (Tōrī)a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
- 保守党員 (Hoshūtōin)a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Polish Torys
- Torysa member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Russian то́ри
- то́ри (tóri)a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Urdu پٹواری
- پٹواری (paṭvārī)someone politically conservative
Welsh Tori
- Toria member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tory
Anagrams
Cite this entry
tory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tory
“tory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tory. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tory,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tory.
Source: tory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.