REACTIONARY Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

reactionary 1 of 2

adjective

rē-ˈak-shə-ˌner-ē

Definition of reactionary

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

reactionary

2 of 2

noun

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

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

Beijing is also actively steering China toward a reactionary version of itself that will worsen its demographic woes rather than help address them. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026 My perspective and approach has been to try and be as measured as possible and not be as reactionary. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Noun

But to his legions of enemies — from MAGA reactionaries to the Anti-Defamation League to mere centrist Democrats — Piker is a loudmouth extremist who’s actively harming the country. — Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 Some reactionaries will always find a reason to demand all-white entertainment, regardless of whether there are mermaids, hobbits, or lightsabers involved. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reactionary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary

Adjective

Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
The American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group of state legislators and private-sector members, cast it as part of a growing bipartisan movement and urged the remaining states to follow.

— Lara Murray-Sterzel, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of conservative

Noun

The ceremony also marked the return of Japanese industry veteran Takeo Hisamatsu as festival director, following the departure of former chairman Hiroyasu Ando earlier this year.

— Gavin Blair, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
The Athens, Georgia, jam-band veterans will close out 2026 with two Charlotte performances, including a New Year’s Eve concert.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of veteran

Adjective

Earlier this month, Mastercard and BVNK launched Global Money Platform, designed to help banks, fintechs and businesses manage payments involving traditional currencies and stablecoins through a single application programming interface.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
But Rodrigues believes technology can augment traditional teaching methods by examining how a student solves an algebra problem or structures a piece of writing and identifying learning gaps.

— Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026