Meanings
luddite1
comparative more luddite · superlative most luddite
- Alternative letter-case form of Luddite.
For me, what luddite success would look like would be a societal shift where we ask ourselves, ‘Why are we burning our planet? Making our lives shittier? Getting rid of every last bit of our autonomy and privacy just to make a few guys rich?’
2024 February 17, Tom Lamont, quoting Molly Crabapple, “‘Humanity’s remaining timeline? It looks more like five years than 50’: meet the neo-luddites warning of an AI apocalypse”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Luddite2
plural Luddites · alternative luddite
- historicalAny of a group of early-19th-century English textile workers who destroyed machinery because it would harm their livelihood.
1 more example
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) - broadlyderogatoryoftenSomeone 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, →ISSNSynonyms: neo-Luddite
- broadlyinformalOne who lives among nature, forsaking technology.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone who opposes technological change.
Origin
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”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech ludita, ludita
- ludita19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luditaone opposing technological change
Danish maskinstormer, luddit
- maskinstormerone opposing technological change
- ludditone opposing technological change
Finnish luddiitti, luddiitti
- luddiitti19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddiittione opposing technological change
French luddite, luddiste
- luddite19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddisteone opposing technological change
German Luddit, Maschinenstürmer
- Luddit19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- Maschinenstürmer19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- Maschinenstürmerin19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- Maschinenstürmerone opposing technological change
- Maschinenstürmerinone opposing technological change
Hindi लडवादी, लडवादी
- लडवादी (laḍvādī)19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- लडवादी (laḍvādī)one opposing technological change
Hungarian luddita
- ludditaone opposing technological change
Italian luddista, luddista
- luddista19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddistaone opposing technological change
- neoluddistaone opposing technological change
Japanese ラッダイト
- ラッダイト (raddaito)19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
Norwegian Bokmål ludditt, ludditt
- ludditt19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddittone opposing technological change
- teknologipessimistone opposing technological change
Polish luddysta, luddysta
- luddysta19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddystaone opposing technological change
Portuguese ludista, ludista
- ludista19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- ludistaone opposing technological change
Russian лудди́т
- лудди́т (luddít)19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
Spanish ludista, ludita
- ludista19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- ludita19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- luddita19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- ludistaone opposing technological change
- luditaone opposing technological change
- ludditaone opposing technological change
- inmovilistaone opposing technological change
Swedish luddit, maskinstormare
- luddit19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- maskinstormare19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
- bakåtsträvareone opposing technological change
- ludditone opposing technological change
- maskinstormareone opposing technological change
Turkish luddist
- luddist19th-century textile worker who destroyed machinery
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
luddite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/luddite
“luddite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/luddite. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “luddite,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/luddite.
Source: luddite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.