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 of reactionary

• conservative
• traditional
• orthodox

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

President of baseball operations David Stearns is not reactionary. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026

The margins in that 2-1 City defeat were razor-thin, whatever any more reactionary narratives might say. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

What social structures enabled Musk and his peers to acquire so much power, such that their messianic techno-reactionary futurism is a real threat rather than just fodder for b-rate science fiction? —Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026

Development The American model of journalistic objectivity is a fairly recent development, predated by the partisan press and interspersed with various reactionary movements, such as new journalism (1960–1970s) and public journalism (1990s). —Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reactionary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

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