A small-c conservative is anyone who believes in the philosophy of conservatism but disagrees with a national Conservative Party. The term was especially popular in Canada during the 1990s when the Progressive Conservative Party was centre-right with the Reform Party (later, the Canadian Alliance) further to the right. Members and supporters of the Reform Party/Canadian Alliance would thus describe themselves as small-c conservatives. It is also used in Britain to describe right wingers who do not support the UK Conservative Party.

See also: small-l liberal, small-l libertarianism