Meanings
nounreaction (plural reactions)
plural reactions · alternative rare reäction
- chemistryA transformation in which one or more substances is converted into another by combination or decomposition.
In this reaction, the acid and base will neutralize each other, producing a salt.
- governmentReactionary politics; a period in which reactionary thought or politics is resurgent or dominant.
And as Europe advanced year by year more deeply into the low featureless plains of reaction, censorship and mediocrity and the pestilential swamps of poverty, unhappiness and oppression, the image of the liberating revolution became ever more luminous.
1962, Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution. 1789-1848, page 268 - AustrianeconomicsUnpurposeful behavior.
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
Similar
Broader
nouna bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinreāctiō
- Old Frenchreaction
- Middle Englishreaccion
- Englishreaction
Inherited from Middle English reaccion, from Old French reaction, from Latin reāctiō, from the verb reagō, from re- (“again”) + agō (“to act”); more at re-, action; equivalent to react + -ion.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans reaksie, reaksie
- reaksieaction in response to an event
- reaksiechemical transformation
Arabic رَدّ فِعْل, تَفَاعُل
- رَدّ فِعْل (radd fiʕl)action in response to an event
- تَفَاعُل (tafāʕul)action in response to an event
- تَفَاعُل (tafāʕul)chemical transformation
Bengali প্রতিক্রিয়া
- প্রতিক্রিয়া (protikriẏa)action in response to an event
Bulgarian реа́кция, реа́кция
- реа́кция (reákcija)action in response to an event
- реа́кция (reákcija)chemical transformation
- реакционерство (reakcionerstvo)reactionary politics
Catalan reacció, reacció
- reaccióaction in response to an event
- reaccióchemical transformation
Chinese Mandarin 反應 /反应, 反動 /反动
- 反應 /反应 (fǎnyìng)action in response to an event
- 反動 /反动 (fǎndòng)action in response to an event
- 反應 /反应 (fǎnyìng)chemical transformation
Czech reakce, reakce
- reakceaction in response to an event
- reakcechemical transformation
Danish reaktion, reaktion
- reaktionaction in response to an event
- reaktionchemical transformation
Dutch reactie
- reactieaction in response to an event
Esperanto reakcio, reago
- reakcioaction in response to an event
- reagoaction in response to an event
Estonian reaktsioon
- reaktsioonaction in response to an event
Finnish reaktio, vaikutus
- reaktioaction in response to an event
- vaikutusaction in response to an event
- vastavaikutusaction in response to an event
- vasteaction in response to an event
- reaktiochemical transformation
- taantumusreactionary politics
French réaction, réaction
- réactionaction in response to an event
- réactionchemical transformation
German Reaktion, Reaktion
- Reaktionaction in response to an event
- Reaktionchemical transformation
- Reaktionreactionary politics
Greek αντίδραση, αντίδραση
- αντίδραση (antídrasi)action in response to an event
- αντίδραση (antídrasi)chemical transformation
Hebrew תְּגוּבָה
- תְּגוּבָה (t'guvá)action in response to an event
Hindi प्रतिक्रिया, प्रक्रिया
- प्रतिक्रिया (pratikriyā)action in response to an event
- प्रक्रिया (prakriyā)action in response to an event
- रासायनिक अभिक्रिया (rāsāynik abhikriyā)chemical transformation
Hungarian reakció, reakció
- reakcióaction in response to an event
- reakcióreactionary politics
Icelandic hvörf, hvarf
- hvörfchemical transformation
- hvarfchemical transformation
Indonesian reaksi
- reaksiaction in response to an event
Irish frithghníomhaíocht, imoibriú
- frithghníomhaíochtaction in response to an event
- imoibriúchemical transformation
Italian reazione, reazione
- reazioneaction in response to an event
- reazionechemical transformation
Japanese 反応, 反動
- 反応 (hannō)action in response to an event
- 反動 (handō)action in response to an event
- リアクション (riakushon)action in response to an event
- 反応 (hannō)chemical transformation
Korean 반응, 반동
- 반응 (baneung)action in response to an event
- 반동 (bandong)action in response to an event
- 리액션 (riaeksyeon)action in response to an event
- 반응 (baneung)chemical transformation
Latin reāctiō
- reāctiōaction in response to an event
Latvian reakcija
- reakcijaaction in response to an event
Lithuanian reakcija
- reakcijaaction in response to an event
Malay reaksi, tindak balas
- reaksiaction in response to an event
- tindak balasaction in response to an event
- tindak balaschemical transformation
- reaksichemical transformation
Māori tauhohenga
- tauhohengachemical transformation
Norwegian Bokmål reaksjon, reaksjon
- reaksjonaction in response to an event
- reaksjonchemical transformation
Persian واکنش, رآکسیون
- واکنش (vâkoneš)action in response to an event
- رآکسیون (re-âksyon)action in response to an event
Polish reakcja
- reakcjaaction in response to an event
Portuguese reação, reação
- reaçãoaction in response to an event
- reaçãochemical transformation
Romanian reacție, reacție
- reacțieaction in response to an event
- reacțiechemical transformation
Russian реа́кция, реа́кция
- реа́кция (reákcija)action in response to an event
- реа́кция (reákcija)chemical transformation
Slovak reakcia
- reakciaaction in response to an event
Spanish reacción, reacción
- reacciónaction in response to an event
- reacciónchemical transformation
Swahili mmenyuko
- mmenyukoaction in response to an event
Swedish reaktion
- reaktionaction in response to an event
Tagalog reaksyon, balibilos
- reaksyonaction in response to an event
- balibiloschemical transformation
Thai ปฏิกิริยา, ปฏิกิริยา
- ปฏิกิริยา (bpà-dtì-gì-rí-yaa)action in response to an event
- ปฏิกิริยา (bpà-dtì-gì-rí-yaa)chemical transformation
Turkish tepki, reaksiyon
- tepkiaction in response to an event
- reaksiyonaction in response to an event
- tepkimechemical transformation
Ukrainian реа́кція, реа́кція
- реа́кція (reákcija)action in response to an event
- реа́кція (reákcija)chemical transformation
Vietnamese phản ứng, phản ứng
- phản ứngaction in response to an event
- phản ứngchemical transformation
Welsh adwaith, ymateb
- adwaithaction in response to an event
- ymatebaction in response to an event
- adwaithchemical transformation
- ymatebchemical transformation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with reaction
actiontransactionsatisfactioninteractionattractionfractionextractiontractioncontractionfactiondistractionsubtractionrefractioninfractionredactionimpactiondetractionstupefactionaerifactionalternate actionassuefactionautoextractioncongelifractiondidaction
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
reaction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reaction
MLA
“reaction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reaction. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reaction,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reaction.
Source: reaction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.