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.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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, noun

Words nearby Luddite

Lucullus, Lucy, Lucy Stoner, lud, Lüda, Luddite, Luddites, lude, Ludendorff, Lüdenscheid, luderick

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Luddite in a sentence

Or, they could distort the contents of the bill and attack anyone who disagreed with them as a legal Luddite and hysteric.
Are Opponents of Arizona's Anti-Gay Law Eager to Deceive?|Kirsten Powers|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even my mother, a kitchen luddite, has been converted from wood.
The 2012 Holiday Kitchen Gift Guide|Megan McArdle|December 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Though I have a reputation for being a Luddite, I actually love the new digital technology and its artistic possibilities.
Confessions of a Blasphemer: Sherman Alexie Talks New Book, Indian Humor and More|Jane Ciabattari|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
They have a weirdly jubilant streak that defuses any hint of a Luddite subtext.
Artist Josephine Meckseper Digs for Oil in Times Square—And Strikes Gold|Blake Gopnik|March 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST

And embrace your inner Luddite, whenever possible unplugging any gadget invented after 1932.
What the Stars Hold for Your Week, June 26-July 2, 2011|Starsky + Cox|June 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Still the Luddite Riots must not be forgotten, for, at one time, they threatened to be somewhat serious.
Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)|John Ashton.
After this wholesale act of severity the Luddite disturbances soon came to an end.
Through the Fray|G. A. Henty
During the autumn and winter of 1811 "Luddite" riots broke out among the stocking-weavers of Nottingham.
The Political History of England - Vol XI|George Brodrick
Not unnaturally, without work and without food, these handworkers The Luddite riots.
A History of England, Period III.|Rev. J. Franck Bright
Anyhow from that time the Luddite conspiracy ceased to be formidable.
Through the Fray|G. A. Henty

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, noun

Word 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