Meanings
reign of terror1
plural reigns of terror
- governmentA brutal period of political violence and intimidation in the wake of a popular revolution.
- broadlyA period defined by tyranny and violation of rights without accountability for the party responsible.
Reign of Terror2
- The period of the French Revolution between 1793 and 1794, marked by political violence, including massacres and public executions by guillotine of over a thousand French citizens accused of bearing reactionary sentiments or treason against the French First Republic.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
reign of terror · noun
From the Reign of Terror that took place during the French Revolution.
Full word history & related roots →Reign of Terror · proper noun
Named for the violence of the period, when thousands or people were massacred or executed through the guillotine by the Committee of Public Safety under Maximilien Robespierre.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 恐怖时期
- 恐怖时期 (Kǒngbù shíqí)period of brutal intimidation by those in power
Dutch schrikbewind
- schrikbewindperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
Finnish hirmuvalta
- hirmuvaltaperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
French Terreur
- Terreurperiod of the French Revolution
German Schreckensherrschaft, Terrorherrschaft
- Schreckensherrschaftperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
- Terrorherrschaftperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
- Terrorherrschaftperiod of the French Revolution
Italian regime del terrore
- regime del terroreperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
Polish rządy terroru
- rządy terroruperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
Spanish reinado del terror, reinado de terror
- reinado del terrorperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
- reinado de terrorperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
- Terrorperiod of the French Revolution
Swedish skräckvälde, terrorvälde
- skräckväldeperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
- terrorväldeperiod of brutal intimidation by those in power
Cite this entry
reign of terror. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reign%20of%20terror
“reign of terror.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reign%20of%20terror. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reign of terror,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reign%20of%20terror.
Source: reign of terror on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.