Thermidorian

plural Thermidorians

1. historySomeone who took part in, or supported, the overthrow of Robespierre on the 9th Thermidor (27 July) 1794.

   By then, the Thermidorians’ sights were already trained on a further target, namely, ‘the Four’, as they became known: Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois and Barère from the old CPS and Vadier from the CGS.

   2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 501

comparative more Thermidorian · superlative most Thermidorian

1. historyPertaining to such people (in French history).

   The Thermidorian spirit of revenge focused particularly on the most extreme – and most unrepentant – former Terrorists within the Convention.

   2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 501

2. Designating a relatively moderate reaction to a revolution.

   It is against the background of these Thermidorian tendencies in the Soviet Union that we have to view the so-called ‘Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution’ in China.

   1974, W.F. Wertheim, Evolution and Revolution