Thermidor

noun

Ther·​mi·​dor
ˈthərməˌdȯ(ə)r;
ˈthə̄məˌdȯ(ə),
ˈthəim-,
+V "or -dȯ(ə)r
plural -s
: a moderate counterrevolutionary stage following an extremist stage of a revolution and usually characterized often through the medium of a dictatorship by an emphasis on the restoration of order, a relaxation of tensions, and some return to patterns of life held to be normal

Word History

Etymology

French Thermidor, month of the French revolutionary calendar beginning July 19; from the overthrow of Robespierre which took place in that month in 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Thermidor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Thermidor. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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