Luddite

[ luhd-ahyt ]

noun
  1. a member of any of various bands of workers in England (1811–16) organized to destroy manufacturing machinery, under the belief that its use diminished employment.

  2. someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.

Origin of Luddite

1
First recorded in 1805–15; supposedly after Ned Ludd, 18th-century Leicestershire worker who in a fit of rage destroyed mechanical knitting machines; see -ite1

Other words from Luddite

  • Luddism, Lud·dit·ism, noun

Words Nearby Luddite

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How to use Luddite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Luddite

Luddite

/ (ˈlʌdaɪt) /


nounEnglish history
  1. any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816

  2. any opponent of industrial change or innovation

adjective
  1. of or relating to the Luddites

Origin of Luddite

1
C19: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd, an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery

Derived forms of Luddite

  • Luddism, noun

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