reactionary
Americanadjective
noun
plural
reactionariesadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reactionary
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."
Vocabulary lists containing reactionary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kennedy has a real talent for taking reactionary, often sadistic ideas and reframing them to sound compassionate and therapeutic.
From Salon • May 18, 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
“I believe the case was a reactionary case that was overcharged,” said attorney Adam Koppekin, who represents an officer whose case was dismissed.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Acting on emotions creates what analysts call a “behavior gap,” which is the difference between strong returns and poor returns that tend to be associated with reactionary decision-making.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Since he did not hesitate to explain his position in public every time he had the chance, for everyone but his own co-religionists he soon became a caricature of the picturesque, reactionary oligarch.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
