Meanings
- derogatoryidiomaticusuallygovernmentHaving policies or practices that are perceived as not progressive or enlightened; behaving in a manner that reflects out-of-date or disapproved opinions.
As gays have moved into the mainstream, Republicans have landed on the wrong side of history.
2007 June 14, Michael Kinsley, “The Quiet Gay Revolution”, in Time, retrieved 21 Apr 20152 more examples
Washington reporters . . . were seen by the president's people as on the wrong side of history—both technologically and politically.
1993 June 27, “The 'Jurassic Park' Press”, in Newsweek, retrieved 21 Apr 2015The Roberts court has too often been on the wrong side of history, most pointedly in its retrograde refusal to protect the right to vote.
2014 June 25, Linda Greenhouse, “The Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Cellphone Privacy”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 Apr 2015Antonyms: on the right side of history
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseHaving policies or practices that are perceived as not progressive or enlightened; behaving in a manner that reflects out-of-date or disapproved opinions.
Translations
Swedish på fel sida av historien
- på fel sida av historienTranslations
Cite this entry
on the wrong side of history. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20wrong%20side%20of%20history
“on the wrong side of history.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20wrong%20side%20of%20history. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on the wrong side of history,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20wrong%20side%20of%20history.
Source: on the wrong side of history on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.