as in conservative
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions
reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rightist
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
reactionaries tried to stop the passage of the legislation extending civil rights
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in veteran
a person with old-fashioned ideas
a reactionary in the nation's ongoing culture war, she seems to believe that watching any TV at all will rot your brain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reactionary
Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Vytas, now staying with his growingly reactionary parents, makes a more concerted effort to join the resistance movement, staging public performance-art protests, volunteering at a food bank, and attempting to cut off his folks’ access to Russian propaganda on satellite TV.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In middle age, some sports fans become reactionaries.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
But in most people, facial bloating and undereye puffiness are usually just reactionary.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Vytas, now staying with his growingly reactionary parents, makes a more concerted effort to join the resistance movement, staging public performance-art protests, volunteering at a food bank, and attempting to cut off his folks’ access to Russian propaganda on satellite TV.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
Like Curtis Yarvin and other neo-reactionaries, Land abhors democracy.
—James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In middle age, some sports fans become reactionaries.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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Even physicians, long hailed by Republicans for their conservative bona fides, contributed more funds to Democrats by a 2-to-1 margin in 2024.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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Today, conservative podcasters like Benny Johnson have filled Limbuagh's space and were gleeful after the House panel moved last month to hold the couple in contempt.—
STEVEN SLOAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Activities Personalised treks to experience the character and charm of nearby villages, mountains, monasteries and lakes are led by highly knowledgeable guides such as Gyaljen Sherpa, 36, a veteran of Himalayan trekking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
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Registration for adults is $40; veterans and first responders pay $25.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Meals in The Eatery all-day buffet; in Horizons, the three-floor main dining room (which offers the traditional early and late seating as well as anytime dining); at the 24-hour International Café; and on the outdoor decks at The Lido and Promenade are all included in the cruise fare.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
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This flexibility is intended to enable more advanced maneuvering and mission profiles than traditional hypersonic boost-glide and cruise missile systems.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For him, Yuan porcelain represented a major cultural and technological breakthrough in Chinese art under Mongol rule, countering long-running, orthodox perceptions of the imperial dynasty.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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But the battles around the president have increasingly spread beyond the orthodox parameters of political debate and into the broader culture.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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