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.

Luddite

/ ˈlʌdaɪt /

noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˈLuddism, noun

Other Words From

• Luddism Luddit·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Luddite¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Luddite¹

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

Example Sentences

Charles is at once a Renaissance man and a Luddite.

From Salon

But before this renaissance, he predicted a “Luddite movement” against new technology that would destroy millions of jobs and monopolise the global economy.

From BBC

In other words, he’s the opposite of a Luddite.

From Los Angeles Times

My 25-year-old works in tech and I am referred to as the Luddite, but here are a few things I would love to see:

From Los Angeles Times

Just like the Luddites did to the power looms.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• neophobe
• technophobe