Luddites

Cultural  

1. Opponents of the introduction of labor-saving machinery. The original Luddites, followers of a legendary Ned Ludd, were British laborers of the early nineteenth century who smashed textile-making machines that threatened their jobs.

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Contemporary opponents of technological change are sometimes called “Luddites.”

Example Sentences

But the folks running Augusta National are not Luddites.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

In 1812 Luddites took hammers to knitting machines for fear of jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Call me a Luddite, but I’ll take it as a compliment—after all, Luddites started the original rebellion against Big Tech.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2023

De La Torre was never judgmental during our one-hour chat, and his final answer about Luddites like me was perfectly rational — even empathetic.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2023

Ned Lud, after whom the Luddites were named, was an idiot, but wiser men, finding themselves reduced to abject poverty through the introduction of the giant machines, could see no further than he.

From Socialism A Summary and Interpretation of Socialist Principles by Spargo, John