reactionary

adjective

re·​ac·​tion·​ary rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē 

: relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction

especially : ultraconservative in politics

reactionary noun

reactionaryism

rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē-ˌi-zəm 

noun

Synonyms

• archconservative
• brassbound
• button-down
• buttoned-down
• conservative
• die-hard
• hidebound
• mossbacked
• old-fashioned
• old-line
• old-school
• orthodox
• paleoconservative
• standpat
• traditional
• traditionalistic
• ultraconservative
• unprogressive

Examples of reactionary in a Sentence

reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword

Recent Examples on the Web

And so The Diplomat sets the stage for Wyler to be schooled, over and over, by Penn and her reactionary doctrine through the end of the season, a dynamic that with each scene reveals how little the series has done to make Wyler a lucid character of her own. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024

Stokes was reactionary whereas McCullum was more reflective. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

The Reaganite values that most endure are the reactionary ones: his hostility toward civil rights, feminism, and the welfare state. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Reagan’s anti-Berkeley campaign provided a blueprint for reactionary politics moving forward; going through a performance of disaffection from the university was a way to gesture towards (without always admitting) a broader disaffection with liberalism. —Adrian Daub / Made By History, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reactionary

1 of 2 adjective

re·​ac·​tion·​ary

rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē

: of, relating to, or favoring old-fashioned political or social ideas

reactionary

2 of 2 noun

plural reactionaries

: a reactionary person