réactionnaire

Forms

réactionnaire (plural réactionnaires)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French réaction + -aire, from the noun in its political sense “movement opposed to the progress that followed the Revolution” (1792).^[2][3][1] The word arose during the French Revolution, when the noun strongly influenced the family of réagir.^[4] réaction itself is a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin reactio.^[1]

A rival word, réacteur, was formed by a change of suffix in the same year, 1794, and was used for the partisan of reaction during the 19th century before it gave way to the derivative in -aire.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Brunot's history of the French language records it in 1794 for a partisan of the policy of reaction; in 1796 a speech by Isnard reprinted in the Moniteur speaks of crimes réactionnaires.^[2] The Grand Robert and the Petit Robert date it to 1796.^[5][6]

Semantic evolution

From the Revolution's “partisans of reaction” the adjective widened, keeping its pejorative tone, to any conservative, backward-looking person or attitude: Chateaubriand wrote in 1831 of the mouvement réactionnaire du paganisme under Julian, in the sense “tending to go back”.^[2][4] The noun un réactionnaire is found in Flaubert's letters in 1850.^[2][4] Littré still marked the word as a neologism, for what works with the reaction against the Revolution.^[7]

The familiar clipping réac became very common in 1848, according to Larchey, notably through the comic figure of Monsieur Réac.^[2][4][6] Today the word is used polemically in politics, and by extension of whatever opposes social progress or changes in customs.^[3][6]

English reactionary (1831) was modelled on the French word.^[8]

Timeline

• 1794 – First recorded for a partisan of the policy of reaction.^[2][4]
• 1796 – Crimes réactionnaires in a speech by Isnard.^[2][9]
• 1831 – Chateaubriand uses it in the wider sense “tending to go back”.^[2]
• 1831 – English reactionary is formed on the model of the French word.^[8]
• 1848 – The clipping réac is in wide use.^[2][6]
• 1850 – First recorded as a noun, in Flaubert's letters.^[2][4]
• 1869 – Littré records it as a neologism.^[7][9]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (politics, derogatory) Favouring political reaction: opposed to change and seeking to restore a past order or an abolished regime, as in Un sénateur réactionnaire.^[2][6][3]
2. (by extension, derogatory) Opposed to social progress and to changes in customs, as in Un roman réactionnaire.^[6][3]

Noun

1. A reactionary, a person who holds such views, as in C’est un vieux réactionnaire.^[6][3][2]

Word family

• réac

Related words

• réaction
• réagir
• réacteur
• Medieval Latin reactio
• English reactionary

Usage notes

The familiar abbreviation réac (1848) is used as a noun and an adjective.^[6][4] Older French also had réacteur in this sense.^[3][4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse