Opposing political or social progress and seeking to return to a previous state of affairs. As a noun, it refers to a person who holds such conservative views and resists change.
From French réactionnaire, derived from réaction (reaction), coined during the French Revolution to describe those who opposed revolutionary changes. The term literally means 'characterized by reaction' against progressive movements.
Reactionaries don't just resist change – they actively want to reverse it! Unlike conservatives who want to preserve the status quo, reactionaries believe society has already gone too far and must be pulled backward to an earlier, 'better' time.
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