reactionary
of, pertaining to, marked by, or favoring reaction, especially extreme conservatism or rightism in politics; opposing political or social change.
a reactionary person.
Origin of reactionary
1- Sometimes re·ac·tion·ist [ree-ak-shuh-nist] /riˈæk ʃə nɪst/ .
Other words for reactionary
Opposites for reactionary
Other words from reactionary
- re·ac·tion·ism, re·ac·tion·ar·y·ism, re·ac·tion·ar·ism [ree-ak-shuh-nuh-riz-uhm], /riˈæk ʃə nəˌrɪz əm/, noun
- an·ti·re·ac·tion·ar·y, noun, plural an·ti·re·ac·tion·ar·ies, adjective
- half-re·ac·tion·ar·y, adjective
- non·re·ac·tion·ar·y, adjective, noun, plural non·re·ac·tion·ar·ies.
- sem·i·re·ac·tion·ar·y, adjective, noun, plural sem·i·re·ac·tion·ar·ies.
- un·re·ac·tion·ar·y, adjective
Words that may be confused with reactionary
Words Nearby reactionary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use reactionary in a sentence
Conspiratorial doubt is not one that moves the world forward but a reactionary belief that tethers our world to the status quo.
There is good reason to hope, in other words, that the current Supreme Court wouldn’t be so reactionary as to strike down a vaccine mandate.
Otherwise they are subject to the whims of a reactionary process that you have no say in whatsoever.
Controversy around newsrooms’ social media policies emboldening the call for unionized media workplaces | Sara Guaglione | June 7, 2021 | DigidayHowever, one reason the right’s reactionary movement wields political power is that many of the tones underlying the debates over free speech on campuses are also playing out in conservative media outlets.
How ‘Cancel Culture’ Became An Issue For Young Republicans | Meredith Conroy | March 22, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightTo Goulding, Microsoft’s new offering is unproven yet and a reactionary move.
Inside Workvivo’s plans to take on Microsoft in the employee experience space | Mary Ann Azevedo | March 4, 2021 | TechCrunch
I do, however, intend it to sound mean about the reactionary, prejudice-infested place she comes from.
reactionary movements are, first and foremost, not rational.
Rage Against GamerGate’s Hate Machine: What I Got For Speaking Up | Arthur Chu | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe 4th of July has been reactionary, chauvinistic, and out-of-date since 1776.
P.J. O'Rourke: 27 Sensitive, Caring, Green, and Politically Committed Reasons to Ban July 4th | P. J. O’Rourke | July 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTreactionary conservative candidates did alarmingly well in recent elections for the European Parliament.
So Rove—I will give him this much—knows the workings of the fearful, reactionary mind.
It was one of the conservative sheets, comic-less, reactionary Republican to the core.
This was effected, and Louis Philippe was balked of his desire to interfere in Portugal to promote a reactionary policy.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanHer husband expressed himself forcibly on a public occasion against some reactionary measures of the government.
Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 4 of 8 | VariousInto this surcharged atmosphere came Metternich with his exaggerated statements about the great reactionary party in France.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte | William Milligan SloaneWe are not speaking of a reactionary revolution but of the "activist."
The New Society | Walther Rathenau
British Dictionary definitions for reactionary
reactionist
/ (rɪˈækʃənərɪ, -ʃənrɪ) /
of, relating to, or characterized by reaction, esp against radical political or social change
a person opposed to radical change
Derived forms of reactionary
- reactionism, noun
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
Cultural definitions for reactionary
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse