Thermidorian

Or Ther·mi·do·re·an

[thur-mi-dawr-ee-uhn, -dohr-]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Thermidorian¹

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

Example Sentences

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

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Critics of the Constitution, then and now, have condemned it as a betrayal of the core principles of the American Revolution, an American version of France’s Thermidorian reaction.

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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.

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The government, mainly Thermidorian, trimmed between Moderates and Independents, and for this reason its actions were often inconsistent.

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The Thermidorian government also endeavoured to pacify the rebels of the west.

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