Dictionary

Luddite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˈlʌ.ɾaɪt] (US)
• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈlʌ.daɪt/ (UK, US)
• lŭdʹīt (UK, US)
• [ˈlʌ.ɾʌit] (Canada)
• (Canada) audio

Etymology

Named after Ned Ludd, a legendary 18th century example, + -ite. The surname is uncommon and of uncertain origin, but compare Old English hlud (“loud, famous”).

Meanings

1. (historical) Any of a group of early-19th-century English textile workers who destroyed machinery because it would harm their livelihood.
   • For instance, the Luddites, so maligned as technology-fearing machine breakers, were a highly sophisticated insurrectionary movement, composed of small, well-disciplined groups who used disguises and watchwords, raised funds and gathered arms, terrorized their opponents, and carried out well-planned, targeted attacks. (And, while it is true the Luddite movement ultimately failed, it was only after Parliament had mobilized twelve thousand troops to put it down – more troops than had fought in the Peninsular War.) 2022, R. F. Kuang, Babel, HarperVoyager, page 482 (footnote):
2. (broadly, derogatory, often) Someone who opposes technological change.
   • [Benjamin Friedman] added, "How long does it take the Luddites to be wrong — a few years, a decade, a couple of decades?" Perhaps just as important, what happens to the workers who happen to be living during a time when the Luddite argument has some truth to it? 2012 October 24, David Leonhardt, “Standard of Living Is in the Shadows as Election Issue”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
3. (broadly, informal) One who lives among nature, forsaking technology.

Forms

Deriveds

technoluddite · Ludditism · neo-Luddism · neo-Luddite

Synonyms

neo-Luddite

Translations (41)

pt ludista (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · cs ludita (one opposing technological change) · sv bakåtsträvare (one opposing technological change) · it luddista (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · tr luddist (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · nb teknologipessimist (one opposing technological change) · es ludista (one opposing technological change) · de Maschinenstürmerin (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · nb ludditt (one opposing technological change) · sv maskinstormare (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · da maskinstormer (one opposing technological change) · it neoluddista (one opposing technological change) · ru лудди́т (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · sv luddit (one opposing technological change) · es luddita (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · pt ludista (one opposing technological change) · hu luddita (one opposing technological change) · es ludita (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · da luddit (one opposing technological change) · hi लडवादी (one opposing technological change) · es inmovilista (one opposing technological change) · de Luddit (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · es ludita (one opposing technological change) · de Maschinenstürmerin (one opposing technological change) · de Maschinenstürmer (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · ja ラッダイト (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · it luddista (one opposing technological change) · es luddita (one opposing technological change) · pl luddysta (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · sv maskinstormare (one opposing technological change) · es ludista (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · fi luddiitti (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · de Maschinenstürmer (one opposing technological change) · fr luddiste (one opposing technological change) · pl luddysta (one opposing technological change) · cs ludita (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · nb ludditt (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · fi luddiitti (one opposing technological change) · fr luddite (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · sv luddit (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery) · hi लडवादी (19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery)