reactionary

CEFRC1

/ɹiˈækʃən(ə)ɹi/

adjective · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Opposed to political or social change and wanting old ways restored.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    In reaction to; as a result of.

Examples

  • A conservative is not always a reactionary.

  • Conservatives think I'm an SJW, and liberals think I'm a reactionary.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /ɹiˈæk.t͡ʃəˌnɛɚ.i/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Of, pertaining to, participating in, or inducing a chemical reaction.

  2. Extremely conservative; opposing revolution (such as the French Revolution); favoring a return to a "golden age" of the past.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. One who opposes revolution, wanting to reverse it, favoring a return to a past golden age, often used derogatorily by revolutionaires.

More examples

In context

  • Reactionary groups were overthrown by the people.

  • [Jeffrey] Epstein was interested in transhumanism, a theory of human perfection via technological manipulation that—like its predecessor, eugenics—is shot through with racist and reactionary ideas.

  • The regulator noted that reduced service levels and passenger numbers helped deliver strong performance, with fewer reactionary delays.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The conservative politician was labeled a blank because he opposed all new reforms in parliament.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from French réactionnaire, equivalent to reaction + -ary. Used in the time of the French revolution to refer to a person opposing the revolution; as in favoring a reaction against the revolution.