reactionary

Sometimes re·ac·tion·ist

[ree-ak-shuh-ner-ee]

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

noun

plural

reactionaries 

1. a reactionary person.

   Synonyms: ultraconservative
   Antonyms: radical

reactionary

/ -ʃənrɪ, rɪˈækʃənərɪ /

adjective

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

noun

1. a person opposed to radical change

reactionary

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of reactionary¹

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

Example Sentences

There is a pejorative word—reactionary—to describe such an enterprise.

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America’s religious landscape would be thinned in favor of large, financially prosperous churches and ministries, almost all of which are reactionary, and largely white.

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Make no mistake, online reactionaries build brands, not nations.

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This reactionary impulse is an ever-present tendency in conservatism.

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Instead, it’s rooted in the visual and emotional language of horror films, especially the more reactionary tales of demonic possession, such as “The Exorcist” and “The Conjuring.”

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Related Words

• archconservative 
• counterrevolutionary 
• regressive 
• rightist 
• ultraconservative