Dictionary

hard-liner en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English hard line Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English hard-liner From hard line + -er.

Meanings

1. A person who takes a firm and uncompromising position on some policy.
   • Because of what was perceived as his sensitive and fair handling of the "Revere Cases," Butters became the subject of much criticism from hard-liners in law enforcement. 1980 February 9, Mitzel, “Man Sentenced to Total Of 39 Years on Charges of Child Pornography, Rape”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 3:
   • As hard-liners gain power within a group, they drive out moderates; what remains of the group is even more extreme, which drives out even more moderates; and so on. 2021 January 29, Paul Krugman, “The G.O.P. Is in a Doom Loop of Bizarro”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • The hardliners, persistent in their belief that the UK would in the end be afforded special treatment by the EU, have served only to undermine the very mandate they seek to protect. 2019 March 13, Oliver Norgrove, “Hypnotised by cake and unicorns, the Brexit perfectionists have blown it”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Antonyms

soft-liner

Descendants

Hardliner

Translations (20)

ka უკომპრომისო (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · ka ჰარდლაინერი (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · fi radikaali (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · ru ястреб (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · cmn 強硬派 /强硬派 (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · de Hardlinerin (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · ja 硬派 (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · es acérrimo (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · it radicale (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · cmn 硬派 (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · id si garis keras (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · de Hardliner (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · pl twardogłowy (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · ka მკაცრი ზომების გატარების მხარდამჭერი (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · it estremista (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · ka ხისტი პოლიტიკის მომხრე (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · it integralista (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · es intransigente (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · fi kovan linjan kannattaja (a person who takes a firm position on some policy) · pt linha-dura (a person who takes a firm position on some policy)