Luddite
[ luhd-ahyt ]
/ ˈlʌd aɪt /
Save This Word!
noun
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.
someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of Luddite
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, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Luddite
Not the least remarkable feature of the story of Luddism is the part played by spies and agents provocateurs.
British Dictionary definitions for Luddite
Luddite
/ (ˈlʌdaɪt) /
noun English history
any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816
any opponent of industrial change or innovation
adjective
of or relating to the Luddites
Derived forms of Luddite
Luddism, nounWord Origin for Luddite
C19: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd, an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012