reactionary
/ɹiˈæk.ʃəˌnɛɚ.i/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.22 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Extremely conservative; opposing revolution (such as the French Revolution); favoring a return to a "golden age" of the past.
adj
Of, pertaining to, participating in, or inducing a chemical reaction.
adj
In reaction to; as a result of.
noun
One who opposes revolution, wanting to reverse it, favoring a return to a past golden age, often used derogatorily by revolutionaires.
Example Sentences
- "There's a fairly simple reason for the embrace of radicalism on the right, and it has to do with the reactionary imperative that lies at the core of conservative doctrine. […] If he is to preserve what he values, the conservative must declare war against the culture as it is."
- "[Jeffrey] Epstein was interested in transhumanism, a theory of human perfection via technological manipulation that—like its predecessor, eugenics—is shot through with racist and reactionary ideas."
- "Within certain MAGA circles, to criticize someone for being too racist or reactionary is a betrayal, signaling an acceptance of the very liberal morality that the movement’s vanguard seeks to destroy."
- "Psychiatry extends the theory into biology in the belief that all human behavior is nothing more than a series of reactionary chemical processes in the brain that determine pre-coded genetic responses built up from the conditioning of one’s environment."
- "The regulator noted that reduced service levels and passenger numbers helped deliver strong performance, with fewer reactionary delays."
- "Hindu reactionaries, whose conception of a well-ordered society had not moved beyond the laws of Manu, fell into line for the moment with the intellectual products of the modern Indian University."
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.
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɹiˈæk.ʃəˌnɛɚ.i/
- British English: /ɹiˈækʃən(ə)ɹi/