reactionary Definition
re·ac·tion·ary (-s̸hə ner′ē)
adjective
of, characterized by, or advocating reaction, esp. in politics
noun pl. -·ar′·ies
a reactionary person; advocate of reaction, esp. in politics
reactionary Synonyms
reactionary Synonyms
reactionary Usage Examples
Converse of object
prevent: This, however, does not prevent the reactionaries and irresponsible demagogues from indulging in false patriotic manifestations and provocations.
Adjective modifier
- social: We are not a bunch of ideological obsessions or social reactionaries denouncing our own society from outside it.
- religious: King Amanullah's sweeping, fast-paced reforms cost him his job to religious reactionaries in 1928.
Modifies a noun
- Utopia: The possibility of a gradual improvement in the condition Of the working class is a reactionary Utopia.
- bourgeoisie: The fate of humankind cannot be left to the reactionary bourgeoisie of any shade, their political parties or representatives.
- modernism: Instead, they want to update reactionary modernism for the age of the Net.
- nationalism: Suddenly, it is as if those symbols of reactionary nationalism have had all their teeth pulled.
- ideology: In their nationalism they encompass virtually all reactionary ideology.
Modifying Another Word
- profoundly: Yet putting the question in this empty fashion is a profoundly reactionary procedure.
- deeply: The rise of Fascism led to an identification of folk studies with deeply reactionary or racist ideology.
- utterly: The notion that the utterly reactionary counter-revolutionary Stalinist dictatorship of the USSR was likely to invade western Europe was, of course, absurd.
- thoroughly: Rather they represented a thoroughly reactionary force which wanted to turn society backward.
- equally: European imperialism is as equally reactionary as the US.
- extremely: Ultimately, I think Unionism is an extremely reactionary set of political ideas; I think that about Republicanism in some ways too.
Used with adjective complement
- turn: Edmund Burke is the standard example of the liberal turned reactionary.
- become: Such a position is amorphous; it is conservative and it threatens to become reactionary.
- seem: Critical EAP is appealing pedagogically because of its restive questioning of discourse norms, although it can seem reactionary at times.
Preposition: in
tone: Most of them tend to be reactionary in tone and contribute little to the discussion of inerrancy.
Preposition: of
bourgeoisie: No doubt, the clever reactionaries of the French bourgeoisie have blurted out the real truth.
Browse dictionary entries near reactionary
- ‹ reaction time
- ‹ reaction formation
- ‹ reaction engine
- ‹ reaction
- ‹ reactant
- ‹ reactance
- ‹ react
- ‹ reaching
- ‹ reach-me-down
- ‹ reach
- reactivate ›
- reactive ›
- reactor ›
- read ›
- read for ›
- read-only ›
- read-only memory ›
- Read, Sir Herbert Edward ›
- read the riot act to ›
- read up on ›

