View synonyms for Luddite

Luddite

[ luhd-ahyt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a member of any of various bands of workers in England (1811–16) organized to destroy manufacturing machinery, under the belief that its use diminished employment.
someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.

Luddite

/ ˈlʌdaɪt /

noun

any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816
any opponent of industrial change or innovation

adjective

of or relating to the Luddites

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Derived Forms

ˈLuddism, noun

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Other Words From

Luddism Luddit·ism noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Luddite¹

First recorded in 1805–15; supposedly after Ned Ludd, 18th-century Leicestershire worker who in a fit of rage destroyed mechanical knitting machines; -ite ¹

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Luddite¹

C19: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd, an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery

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