unreconstructed
Americanadjective
-
stubbornly maintaining earlier positions, beliefs, etc.; not adjusted to new or current situations.
an unreconstructed conservative.
-
U.S. History. (of Southern states) not accepting the conditions for reinstatement in the Union after the Civil War.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unreconstructed
First recorded in 1865–70, un- 1 + reconstruct ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
A casual listener might take Mr. Youngkin for an unreconstructed Reaganite, but he sometimes speaks effusively about the affirmative powers of government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Most conferences have an opening round through which all can sleep save for the aforementioned next of kin and the unreconstructed geeks.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 9, 2023
The interview shows Wayne to be an unreconstructed conservative of a type that exemplified Orange County in the 1970s and 1980s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2020
My destination was Black Mountain, the fustiest and most unreconstructed ski area in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2020
“He went to his death unreconstructed and unloved,” wrote Peter Chew in American Heritage magazine, “having left his mark literally and figuratively on many a stablehand.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
