unreconstructed

adjective

un·​re·​con·​struct·​ed ˌən-ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-təd How to pronounce unreconstructed (audio)
: not reconciled to some political, economic, or social change
an unreconstructed rebel
also : holding stubbornly to a particular belief, view, place, or style
an unreconstructed hard-liner

Did you know?

The reorganization and reestablishment of the seceded states in the Union after the American Civil War is referred to as the Reconstruction. The earliest known use of unreconstructed is by a writer for the Boston, Massachusetts, publication The Liberator, who in 1865 used it to describe Southerners who were not reconciled to the outcome of the War and the changes enacted during the Reconstruction. The word immediately caught on and has been used to refer to intransigent or dyed-in-the-wool partisans ever since. The word is also used outside of political and social contexts, as when a person is described as "an unreconstructed rocker" or "an unreconstructed romantic."

Examples of unreconstructed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thousands of anticommunist agitators, professional patriots, and unreconstructed confederates gathered to protest and disrupt. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024 Walton remained an unreconstructed hippie the rest of his life. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 28 May 2024 Katznelson does not spare the reader the vivid, revolting details of the unreconstructed bigotry of many southern Democrats toward African Americans. Taeku Lee, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2013 The most direct criticism of Peltz came from Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a management professor at Yale who is an unreconstructed fan of Iger’s. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unreconstructed 

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreconstructed was in 1865

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near unreconstructed

Cite this Entry

“Unreconstructed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreconstructed. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on unreconstructed

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!