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 fogey
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
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2025
The movie is a real-world thriller that’s also a riveting character study that’s also a portrait of the place where the reactionary politics of today curdles into obsession.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 July 2025
What choice would a young reactionary iconoclast have but to veer right?
—Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
New law makes expelling kids easier Soon after the board cast its vote in February, the teen's lawyer said the board was being reactionary and that his client had been rehabilitated.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
Positioned after Moten, McDuffie’s work frames Black Midwestern feminism not as reactionary or isolated but as globally entangled and ideologically generative, with community feminism rooted in both migration and memory.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2025
The movie is a real-world thriller that’s also a riveting character study that’s also a portrait of the place where the reactionary politics of today curdles into obsession.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 July 2025
What choice would a young reactionary iconoclast have but to veer right?
—Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
New law makes expelling kids easier Soon after the board cast its vote in February, the teen's lawyer said the board was being reactionary and that his client had been rehabilitated.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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A day earlier, conservative host Megyn Kelly urged Trump against potentially pardoning Combs.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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Crawford, 60, defeated conservative Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel in the April 1 election.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Ford’s traditional business operations, known as Ford Blue, earned $661 million in the quarter compared with $1.17 billion in the year-ago quarter.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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About 68% of traditional elementary schools in those districts had an average roster size under 23 students, compared to 37% in the other board districts.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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But the veterans are still having their say in Europe — and beyond.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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Multiple teams have expressed interest in the Royals’ top veterans.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Funds could support conservative seminaries like Nashotah House, a conservative seminary in the Anglican tradition, or pastors from the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, ensuring orthodox leadership for historic churches.—
The Rev. Jake Dell,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
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The religious advisory board includes Christian and Jewish members from traditions including Catholicism, evangelicalism, Greek Orthodox Christianity and orthodox Judaism.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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