reactionary
[ ree-ak-shuh-ner-ee ]
/ riˈæk ʃəˌnɛr i /
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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
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Sometimes re·ac·tion·ist [ree-ak-shuh-nist] /riˈæk ʃə nɪst/ .
OTHER WORDS FROM reactionary
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use reactionary in a sentence
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.