A person who is extremely opposed to progress and change, wanting to return society to an earlier, traditional state.
From 'arch-' (chief, extreme) + 'reactionary' (from 'reaction,' going back against something). Gained prominence in 19th-century political vocabulary to describe those resisting revolution and reform.
This word perfectly captures the ideological battles of the 1800s—conservatives and progressives hurled it at each other. The 'arch-' intensifies 'reactionary' from merely traditional to actively hostile to all modern change.
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