Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words (original) (raw)

Luddite

noun

1. 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.
2. someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.

/ ˈlʌdaɪt /

noun

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

adjective

1. of or relating to the Luddites

Discover More

Derived Forms

• ˈLuddism, noun

Discover More

Other Words From

• Luddism Luddit·ism noun

Discover More

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

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Luddite1

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

Discover More

Example Sentences

But before this renaissance, he predicted a “Luddite movement” against new technology that would destroy millions of jobs and monopolise the global economy.

In other words, he’s the opposite of a Luddite.

My 25-year-old works in tech and I am referred to as the Luddite, but here are a few things I would love to see:

Just like the Luddites did to the power looms.

“I’m no Luddite, but every now and then, when encountering stories like this or avoiding similar scams myself, I can’t help but wonder if the costs of our digital/internet-driven world don’t outweigh the benefits.”