reactionary
[ ree-ak-shuh-ner-ee ]
/ riˈæk ʃəˌnɛr i /
Save This Word!
adjective
of, pertaining to, marked by, or favoring reaction, especially extreme conservatism or rightism in politics; opposing political or social change.
noun, plural re·ac·tion·ar·ies.
a reactionary person.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Sometimes re·ac·tion·ist [ree-ak-shuh-nist] /riˈæk ʃə nɪst/ .
OTHER WORDS FROM reactionary
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use reactionary in a sentence
Early campaigners sought to prevent broadcasting from becoming saturated by reactionary voices that drove profits but hurt democracy.
The Fairness Doctrine won’t solve our problems — but it can foster needed debate|Victor Pickard|February 4, 2021|Washington PostYou don’t have to just cover things up, or you don’t have to just be reactionary.
“I started crying”: Inside Timnit Gebru’s last days at Google—and what happens next|Karen Hao|December 16, 2020|MIT Technology ReviewBut there are real dollars and cents behind this bit of reactionism.
British Dictionary definitions for reactionary
reactionary
reactionist
/ (rɪˈækʃənərɪ, -ʃənrɪ) /
adjective
of, relating to, or characterized by reaction, esp against radical political or social change
noun plural -aries or -ists
a person opposed to radical change
Derived forms of reactionary
reactionism, nounCollins 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
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.