Thermidorian

American  

[thur-mi-dawr-ee-uhn, -dohr-] / ˌθɜr mɪˈdɔr i ən, -ˈdoʊr- /

Or Thermidorean

noun

1. a member of the French moderate group who participated in the downfall of Robespierre and his followers on the 9th Thermidor (July 27th), 1794.

2. a supporter of the reactionary movement following this coup d'état.

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Etymology

Origin of Thermidorian

From the French word thermidorien, dating back to 1820–30. See Thermidor, -ian

Example Sentences

According to the authors, “HTS’s trajectory has revolved around two principal axes: an ideological realignment toward the center, and a Thermidorian shift” away from the revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal

The term “Thermidorian,” central in the book, points to that period in the French Revolution following the toppling of the radical Jacobins.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the conflicts ended with Robespierre’s death and the ensuing Thermidorian Reaction, characterized by a retreat from violent purges in 1794-95, fundamental instability persisted until Napoleon Bonaparte imposed order.

From The Wall Street Journal

Robespierre’s execution kicked off the Thermidorian Reaction, in which France returned to more conservative policies.

From Los Angeles Times

Every revolution, no matter how small and self-invented, creates its own version of the Reign of Terror, and then its own Thermidorian Reaction, when the radical leaders are themselves sent to the guillotine.

From Salon