macdonaldite

1. chemistryAn orthorhombic-dipyramidal mineral containing barium, calcium, hydrogen, oxygen, and silicon.

   It is typically a vein-forming mineral associated with macdonaldite, opal, and witherite.

   2012, H. Earl Pemberton, Minerals of California, page 2406

plural MacDonaldites

1. Someone who was loyal to Ramsay MacDonald, especially after he split from the Labour Party in 1931.

   He had been, as she says, 'a great MacDonaldite.'

   1986, Reginald Bassett, Nineteen thirty-one political crisis, page 160

   2 more examples

   Morrison, a MacDonaldite up to October 1931, later resorted to outright fiction in order to present himself as a leading anti-MacDonaldite during the August crisis.

   2003, Philip Williamson, National Crisis and National Government, page 5

   Circumstances had something to do with the slackening of his partisan activities (in 1931 he was a MacDonaldite and ceased to be a member of a political party); but it was characteristic of him that the only cause which held his unwavering allegiance was that of Parliamentary democracy, which he understood to be a noble and historic manner of conducting politics, reaching decisions and digesting the differences characteristic of a modern European society.

   2011, Michael Oakeshott, The Vocabulary of a Modern European State

comparative more MacDonaldite · superlative most MacDonaldite

1. Characteristic of MacDonaldism.

   It is not possible to improve the policy of MacDonald by mosaic corrections. If centrism comes to power, it will inevitably carry on a MacDonaldite, in other words a capitalist, policy.

   2013, Leon Trotsky, Where is Britain Going?

   2 more examples

   MacDonaldite gradualism had assumed that progress could be piecemeal, incrementally gaining support and improving society – more and more people would come over to socialism as they saw its benefits in action.

   2008, Andrew Thorpe, A History of the British Labour Party

   Cronin makes sure readers appreciate that Davey's contempt for the MacDonaldite argument justifying this omission – 'We've got to be careful. We've got to be constitutional' – is a righteous one, for it is only advanced by Labour MPs corrupted by public life.

   2014, Steven Fielding, A State of Play, page 61