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Revolutionary vs Reactionary - What's the difference?

revolutionary | reactionary |

As adjectives the difference between revolutionary and reactionary

is that revolutionary is of or pertaining to a revolution in government; tending to, or promoting, revolution; as, revolutionary war; revolutionary measures; revolutionary agitators while reactionary is opposed to change; urging a return to a previous state.

As nouns the difference between revolutionary and reactionary

is that revolutionary is a revolutionist; a person who revolts while reactionary is one who is opposed to change.

revolutionary

English

Adjective

(head)
  • Of or pertaining to a revolution in government; tending to, or promoting, revolution; as, revolutionary war; revolutionary measures; revolutionary agitators.
  • (advertising) pertaining to something that portends of great change; overthrowing a standing mindset
  • (sciences) pertaining to something that revolves
  • Noun

    (revolutionaries)
  • A revolutionist; a person who revolts.
  • reactionary

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Opposed to change; urging a return to a previous state.
  • Very conservative.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , date = 2011-09-29 , title = The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin , author = Corey Robin , location = New York , publisher = Oxford University Press , isbn = 9780199793747 , ol = 25101368M , page = 25 , pageurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=CWxIz_Gm9WMC&pg=PA25&dq=reactionary , passage = There's a fairly simple reason for the embrace of radicalism on the right, and it has to do with the reactionary imperative that lies at the core of conservative doctrine. If he is to preserve what he values, the conservative must declare war against the culture as it is. }}
  • (chemistry) Of, pertaining to, participating in or inducing a chemical reaction.
  • * 2013 , Brandon Smith, Are Individuals The Property Of The Collective?
  • Psychiatry extends the theory into biology in the belief that all human behavior is nothing more than a series of reactionary chemical processes in the brain that determine pre-coded genetic responses built up from the conditioning of one’s environment.

    Antonyms

    * nonreactionary

    Noun

    (wikipedia reactionary) (reactionaries)
  • One who is opposed to change.
  • One who is very conservative.