A reactionary person or group tries to prevent changes in the political or social system of their country.
[disapproval]
...Charlotte Brontë's battle against the forces of reactionary Victorianism.
As long as I have strength, I shall be trying to remove the reactionary forces fromthe party.
...narrow and reactionary ideas about family life.
Synonyms: conservative, conventional, right-wing, old-fashioned More Synonyms of reactionary
A reactionary is someone with reactionary views.
Critics viewed him as a reactionary.
More Synonyms of reactionary
reactionary in British English
(rɪˈækʃənərɪ, -ʃənrɪ) or reactionist
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characterized by reaction, esp against radical political or social change
nounWord forms: plural-aries or -ists
2. Also: reactionarist
a person opposed to radical change
Derived forms
reactionism (reˈactionism)
noun
reactionary in American English
(riˈækʃəˌnɛri)
adjective
1.
of, characterized by, or advocating reaction, esp. in politics
nounWord forms: pluralreˈactionˌaries
2.
a reactionary person; advocate of reaction, esp. in politics
Also ; Rare reˈactionist
Examples of 'reactionary' in a sentence
reactionary
But the only surprise here is in the formulaic plotting and the weirdly reactionary politics.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
If anything they are being used by those reactionary forces who oppose him.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Now, villages are suspected of harbouring dangerous reactionary forces.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Whether a social movement is reactionary or revolutionary depends to some extent on one's standpoint.
Appelbaum, Richard P. Sociology (1995)
We should be on guard against what are, at heart, reactionary views.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This, at the time, was not a reactionary view.
Peregrine Worsthorne IN DEFENCE OF ARISTOCRACY (2004)
The grand coalition has been paralysed by the most reactionary elements of Left and Right.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The most reactionary elements - those with the most dangerous messianic schemes - are planning to take over the country.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It is hard to get a hold on him as he flickers between tough and tender, radical and reactionary, liberal and conservative.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Thus the Middle East produced a more bitter and overt clash between reformist and reactionary forces than did any other civilization in the contemporary world.
Stearns, Peter N. World History: Patterns of Change and Continuity (1995)
First of all, they themselves were being besieged by reactionary forces and had an understandable urge to hit back at the Western sponsors of these forces.
Ramirez-Faria, Carlos The Origins of Economic Inequality between Nations: A critique of Western theorieson development and underdevelopment (1990)
In other languages
reactionary
British English: reactionary ADJECTIVE
A reactionary person or group tries to prevent changes in the political or social system of their country.
It became clear to everyone that the chairman was too reactionary, too blinkered.
American English: reactionary
Brazilian Portuguese: reacionário
Chinese: 反动的
European Spanish: reaccionario
French: réactionnaire
German: reaktionär
Italian: reazionario
Japanese: 反動的な
Korean: 보수적인
European Portuguese: reacionário
Latin American Spanish: reaccionario
(adjective)
Definition
opposed to political or social change
narrow and reactionary ideas about family life
Synonyms
conservative
People tend to be more adventurous when they're young and more conservative as they get older.
conventional
right-wing
right-wing ideas
old-fashioned
counter-revolutionary
obscurantist
blimpish
unprogressive
Opposites
radical
,
socialist
,
revolutionary
,
progressive
,
leftist
,
reformist
(noun)
Definition
a person opposed to radical change
Critics viewed him as a reactionary, even a monarchist.
Synonyms
conservative
The new judge is regarded as a conservative.
traditionalist
die-hard
Fanatical diehards are determined on derailing the peace process.
right-winger
rightist
counter-revolutionary
stick-in-the-mud (informal)
a stick-in-the-mud who prefers the old, tried and tested methods
obscurantist
Colonel Blimp
Opposites
radical
,
socialist
,
revolutionary
,
progressive
,
leftist
,
reformist
Additional synonyms
in the sense of die-hard
Definition
a person who resists change
Fanatical diehards are determined on derailing the peace process.
Synonyms
reactionary,
fanatic,
zealot,
intransigent,
stick-in-the-mud (informal),
old fogey,
ultraconservative
in the sense of right-wing
Definition
belonging to the more conservative part of a political party
right-wing ideas
Synonyms
conservative,
Tory,
traditionalist,
reactionary,
rightist,
unprogressive
in the sense of stick-in-the-mud
Definition
a person who is unwilling to try anything new or do anything exciting
a stick-in-the-mud who prefers the old, tried and tested methods