reactionary

adjective

re·​ac·​tion·​ary rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce reactionary (audio)
: relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction
especially : ultraconservative in politics
reactionary noun
reactionaryism noun

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 Those observing Ramadan also avoid reactionary emotions, explained Yasmin Saikia, an Arizona State University history professor. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 The tendency for reactionary hiring policies and spending sprees can tie the health of a company too closely to prevailing economic conditions. Al Khan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 It was eventually brought out by Rusconi, an emerging publishing house that was establishing its name with editions of books by esoteric reactionary thinkers such as Ernst Jünger, Joseph de Maistre, and René Guénon. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 That reactionary faction of the right continued to espouse affection for dictatorship even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when there was no longer an overriding foreign-policy justification for championing such regimes. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2024 This bias can result in reactionary investment strategies, such as buying high in a rising market or selling low in a downturn, often to the detriment of long-term portfolio performance. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Being reactionary will defuse others from getting in your way. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 Zoning codes are designed to protect people, but enforcement can be 'reactionary,' experts say City zoning laws were designed to prevent land in the same area from being used for conflicting reasons, such as a factory being built right next to a neighborhood, according to urban planning experts. Claire Thornton, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 Some, most prominently Louis C.K., have issued apologies and disappeared for a while, only to resurface with material geared toward reactionary fans. TIME, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reactionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reactionary was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near reactionary

Cite this Entry

“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reactionary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on reactionary

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