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 Learning Network, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Martini was a key figure in a group of churchmen who met annually in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to ponder how best to blunt John Paul and Ratzinger’s reactionary thrust.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
With the trade deadline just a few days away, Durant believes that other teams could make reactionary moves to this deal.
—Matt Levine, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
This lack of preparedness mirrors the COVID-19 hysteria and reactionary approach whereby lockdowns and mask mandates were instituted only after thousands of Americans had already been infected and hospitalized.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
And further, that the mainstream obsession with the genre has made our legal system more reactionary and more fixated on punishment?
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Martini was a key figure in a group of churchmen who met annually in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to ponder how best to blunt John Paul and Ratzinger’s reactionary thrust.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
With the trade deadline just a few days away, Durant believes that other teams could make reactionary moves to this deal.
—Matt Levine, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
This lack of preparedness mirrors the COVID-19 hysteria and reactionary approach whereby lockdowns and mask mandates were instituted only after thousands of Americans had already been infected and hospitalized.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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The report came from the Maine Wire, an online outlet founded by a conservative think tank based in the state.—
Jennifer Smith Richards,
ProPublica,
11 Mar. 2025
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To justify this clampdown, Putin has evoked the defense of Russian sovereignty and conservative Christian values against the decadent liberal West.—
Michael McFaul,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Every community in Connecticut is provided access to free educational services for individuals over age 17 who have withdrawn from a traditional high school or are in need of English as a Second Language or Citizenship.—
Larry Covino,
Hartford Courant,
20 Mar. 2025
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Her focus is less on traditional metrics like follower count and more on the creator’s ability to create compelling, educational content that aligns well with brands.—
Kristen Bousquet,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The veteran Rojas has stepped in for the Dodgers many times before.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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People are losing veterans’ benefits and Social Security.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Last year, many Orthodox Christians in Ukraine celebrated on December 25 for the first time, shifting away from Russian customs toward Western conventions and widely seen as a snub to Russia and its orthodox church, which has endorsed Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
26 Dec. 2024
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But having one of the masters of orthodox Hollywood storytelling at my side, by the monitor every single day, was so immensely helpful.—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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