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reactionary definition

re·ac·tion·ary (-s̸hə ner′ē)

adjective

of, characterized by, or advocating reaction, esp. in politics

noun pl. reactionaries -·ar′·ies

a reactionary person; advocate of reaction, esp. in politics
Also Now Rarereactionist re·ac′·tion·ist

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

reactionary Synonyms

reactionary

modif.

rigid, retrogressive, regressive, ultraconservative; see conservative.


reactionary

n.

right-winger, die-hard, ultraconservative; see conservative.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

reactionary Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • bigot: Certainly Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, is a reactionary bigot who denies the reality of the Nazi Holocaust.

Modifying Another Word

  • profoundly: Yet putting the question in this empty fashion is a profoundly reactionary procedure.

Used with adjective complement

  • turn: Edmund Burke is the standard example of the liberal turned reactionary.

Preposition: in

  • tone: Most of them tend to be reactionary in tone and contribute little to the discussion of inerrancy.
reactionary usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

reactionary quotes

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who hasnever learned towalk forwards. A reactionary is a somnambulist walking backwards. A radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.

-Roosevelt, Franklin D(elano)

reactionary quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"reactionary." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/reactionary>

APA Style

reactionary. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/reactionary

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