reactionary
UK /ɹiˈækʃən(ə)ɹi/ · US /ɹiˈæk.ʃəˌnɛɚ.i/ adjective, noun
Forms reactionaries
- adjective (politics) Extremely conservative; opposing revolution (such as the French Revolution); favoring a return to a "golden age" of the past.
- adjective (chemistry) Of, pertaining to, participating in, or inducing a chemical reaction.
- adjective In reaction to; as a result of.
- noun (politics) One who opposes revolution, wanting to reverse it, favoring a return to a past golden age, often used derogatorily by revolutionaires.
Synonyms
antiprogressive regressive ultraconservative extreme right-winger reactionist far-right
Antonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “reactionary”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details