Jacobin
Americannoun
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(in the French Revolution) a member of a radical society or club of revolutionaries that promoted the Reign of Terror and other extreme measures, active chiefly from 1789 to 1794: so called from the Dominican convent in Paris, where they originally met.
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an extreme radical, especially in politics.
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a Dominican friar.
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(lowercase) one of a fancy breed of domestic pigeons having neck feathers that hang over the head like a hood.
noun
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a member of the most radical club founded during the French Revolution, which overthrew the Girondists in 1793 and, led by Robespierre, instituted the Reign of Terror
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a leftist or extreme political radical
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a French Dominican friar
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(sometimes not capital) a variety of fancy pigeon with a hood of feathers swept up over and around the head
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Jacobin
1275–1325; Middle English Jacobin < Old French ( frere ) jacobin < Medieval Latin ( frater ) Jacōbinus. See Jacob, -in 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Samsung strike "would almost certainly have been the biggest work stoppage in the history of the global semiconductor industry", South Korean writer and researcher Kap Seol said in an article for US magazine Jacobin.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
In an article for the Times of India this month, Bhaskar Sunkara, founding editor of the American socialist magazine Jacobin, called Mr. Mamdani “the real deal—a Marxist by training and conviction.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025
Also, the designers at Jacobin did such a wonderful job developing the splash page and the new landing webpage for the homepage to promote the book.
From Slate • Dec. 1, 2023
At the same time, the strength of the Jacobin party was weakening.
From Science Daily • Sep. 18, 2023
When the Jacobin club was “purified” in the winter, Danton’s name would have been struck out as a moderate if Robespierre had not defended him.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9 "Dagupan" to "David" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
