reactionary

American  

[ree-ak-shuh-ner-ee] / riˈæk ʃəˌnɛr i /

Sometimes reactionist

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, marked by, or favoring reaction, especially extreme conservatism or rightism in politics; opposing political or social change.

   Synonyms:

   ultraconservative

   Antonyms:

   radical

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noun

• reactionaries
  plural

1. a reactionary person.

   Synonyms:

   ultraconservative

   Antonyms:

   radical

reactionary British  

/ rɪˈækʃənərɪ, -ʃənrɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by reaction, esp against radical political or social change

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noun

1. a person opposed to radical change

reactionary Cultural  

1. An extremely conservative person or position that not only resists change but seeks to return to the “good old days” of an earlier social order.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antireactionary
  noun
• reactionarism
  noun
• reactionaryism
  noun
• reactionism
  noun
• half-reactionary
  adjective
• nonreactionary
  adjective
• semireactionary
  adjective
• unreactionary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reactionaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reactionary

1830–40; reaction + -ary; compare French réactionnaire

Explanation

A reactionary is someone who opposes reform or change, especially in the realm of politics. A reactionary is someone reacting (in horror) to what others consider to be progress. No one describes themselves as reactionary — you will hear it more often as a condemnation, as in "I cannot support the reactionary policy of mandatory military service for 18-year-olds."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reactionary reactionaries

Notably, he also warned people "not to be drawn into the influence of reactionary elements".

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

“Because we focus so much on the kind of retroactive or reactionary human caseload, we miss the opportunity to control the vector and to understand more about the vector,” LaDeau said.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Policymakers also must avoid reactionary laws that do more harm than good.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

We need a coordinated maritime security framework that goes beyond reactionary naval escorts to include long-term diplomatic and economic safeguards.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

And there matters rested for three years, while schools in progressive Durham remained as segregated as those in reactionary Birmingham.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Deeply discount the moaning of Hollywood reactionaries and certain podcasters trying to edge themselves into the spotlight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025

Or even from prominent reactionaries like Elon Musk and Dave Portnoy.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2024

Watkins added that scientists and human rights advocates may not be able to "out shout" the reactionaries, but they can effectively rebut them by calmly displaying the scientific facts.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2024

We meet the Bollywood fan, the intense scientific genius, the band of cultural reactionaries, the Indian folklore cosplayers and so on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2022

Finally only a few unreconstructed reactionaries were left from each of these classes, who, though exhausted and panting, still had the strength to be noisy, and occasionally to make a feint of activity.

From The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. IV. (of IV.) by William Milligan Sloane

Related Words

• archconservative
• counterrevolutionary
• regressive
• rightist
• ultraconservative