reactionary 1 of 2

adjective

rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce reactionary (audio)
Definition of reactionarynext
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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reactionary

2 of 2

noun

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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2
as in veteran
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reactionary
Adjective
The demonization of minorities was nothing new, of course, but New York in the Seventies birthed a reactionary movement that was supported by politicians, public intellectuals, elites, and working people alike. — Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 Garrett says the new protocols acknowledge that academic institutions have the responsibility to take steps for the safety of their researchers and protect them from potentially dangerous interactions with conspiracy theorists and other reactionary zealots. — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Noun
Yes, the movie’s reactionaries are ridiculous, never more so than when Penn’s comic-book antagonist is onscreen. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025 Like Curtis Yarvin and other neo-reactionaries, Land abhors democracy. — James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
  1. conservative
  2. veteran
  3. traditional
  4. orthodox
Adjective
  • The conservative assault on child health starts with the anti-vaccine campaign and proceeds to cutbacks in nutrition assistance and narrowed access to healthcare.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Each capsule biography offers a short video created in partnership with the conservative media organization PragerU.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of conservative
Noun
  • Last month, veteran Hollywood producer Roy Lee got three calls in a single day from executives at three different studios.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • In addition, veteran forward Andrew Wiggins’ two-year extension worth $34 million with the Heat also became official on Monday.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of veteran
Adjective
  • Today, the industry has evolved well beyond those traditional procedures.
    — Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • The Immaculata opened in 2023 and, according to the SSPX, is the biggest traditional Catholic church in the world.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Definition of traditional
Adjective
  • Rodriguez almost played as an auxiliary right-back instead of an orthodox right-winger, dropping deep and dictating play.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • In an age of intelligent machines, who gets to decide what is orthodox remains one of the most important questions a free society can ask.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Definition of orthodox

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Cite this Entry

“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of reactionary for Spanish Speakers

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