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  

/ -ʃənrɪ, rɪˈækʃənərɪ /

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

“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

Pickford also won the competition's save-of-the-season award for a second time last season following a remarkable reactionary stop, external from Sandro Tonali's volley to secure Everton's 3-2 win at St James' Park in February.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 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

Parnell died of pneumonia the next year, at 45, leaving behind the legend of a great man brought low by reactionary forces.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

There is no doubt that your grandfather’s reactionary class standing had a bad influence on your father’s thoughts, and he naturally passed them on to you.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

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

In a sense, these are true reactionaries, whereas totalitarianism tends to have a revolutionary element.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025

He shares with the architectural reactionaries the impulse toward rawer, less manufactured surroundings.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2023

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

The young Emperor's ambition to impress upon his realm the stamp of western civilization had made him, for two years, a virtual prisoner to the Empress Dowager and her reactionaries.

From The Tempering by Charles Neville Buck

Related Words

• archconservative
• counterrevolutionary
• regressive
• rightist
• ultraconservative