luddite means any of a group of early-19th-century English textile workers who destroyed machinery because it would harm their livelihood. It carries an Arena rating of 1585, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, luddite ranks #19 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,799 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #2,291 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #3,491 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
luddite is pronounced /ˈlʌ.daɪt/.
Why “luddite” is a great word
A person who is opposed to new technology or technological change. From the name Ned Ludd, a legendary 18th-century English workman who allegedly destroyed machinery, with the suffix -ite denoting a follower; first recorded in use around 1811. Unlike a reactionary, who broadly resists political or social change, or a technophobe, whose aversion stems from irrational fear, a Luddite’s opposition is a principled, often economic defiance. It is the stocking frame smashed in the half-light of a Nottinghamshire mill, the stubborn cultivation of a vegetable patch in a world of laboratory-grown meat, the quiet refusal to upgrade from a manual typewriter whose bell chimes with finality—a stance against the tide not out of fear, but from the conviction that some threads of human dignity should not be woven by invisible hands.
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”).
noun
- Any of a group of early-19th-century English textile workers who destroyed machinery because it would harm their livelihood.
- Someone who opposes technological change.
- One who lives among nature, forsaking technology.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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