Thermidorian
Americannoun
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a member of the French moderate group who participated in the downfall of Robespierre and his followers on the 9th Thermidor (July 27th), 1794.
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a supporter of the reactionary movement following this coup d'état.
Etymology
Origin of Thermidorian
From the French word thermidorien, dating back to 1820–30. See Thermidor, -ian
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.
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 ● Nov. 3, 2025
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 ● Oct. 31, 2025
Robespierre’s execution kicked off the Thermidorian Reaction, in which France returned to more conservative policies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
Surprised and menaced by the Thermidorian reaction, he denounced its partisans to the Jacobin club.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various
About four in the afternoon, there remain hardly more than some Sixty Members: mere friends, or even secret-leaders; a remnant of the Mountain-crest, held in silence by Thermidorian thraldom.
From The French Revolution by Carlyle, Thomas
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.
