reactionary

re·ac·tion·ary

adj \rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē\

Definition of REACTIONARY

: relating to, marked by, or favoring reaction; especially : ultraconservative in politics

— reactionary noun

— re·ac·tion·ary·ism \-ˌi-zəm\ noun

Examples of REACTIONARY

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

First Known Use of REACTIONARY

1840

Related to REACTIONARY

Synonyms: archconservative, brassbound, button-down (or buttoned-down), die-hard, hidebound, mossbacked, old-fashioned, old-line, old-school, orthodox, paleoconservative, conservative, standpat, traditional, traditionalistic, ultraconservative, unprogressive

Antonyms: broad-minded, large-minded, liberal, nonconservative, nonconventional, nonorthodox, nontraditional, open-minded, progressive, unconventional, unorthodox

Related Words: conventional, square; devoted, faithful, loyal, staunch (also stanch), steadfast, steady, true, true-blue; blimpish, neoconservative, Tory, ultraright, ultrarightist; dowdy, fogyish (or fogeyish), fuddy-duddy, ossified, set, stodgy; right, right-wing; antiliberal, antimodern, antiprogressive, antireform, antirevolutionary

Near Antonyms: anticonventional, antiestablishment, antitraditional, extremist, radical, revolutionary; nonconformist; advanced, contemporary, modern; lefty, radical, ultraleft, ultraleftist, ultraprogressive, ultraradical

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Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

Rhymes with REACTIONARY

apothecary, bicentenary, confectionary, confectionery, consigliere, constabulary, contemporary, deflationary, disciplinary, discretionary, diversionary, epistolary, exclusionary, expansionary, extemporary, extraordinary, fiduciary, hereditary, illusionary, imaginary, incendiary, inflationary, insanitary, intercalary, involuntary, itinerary, judiciary, lending library, marionberry, obituary, olallieberry, on the contrary, pecuniary, pituitary, precautionary, preliminary, presidiary, probationary, proprietary, provisionary, subliterary, subsidiary, tercentenary, unnecessary, veterinary, vocabulary, voluptuary