Thermidorian
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Someone who took part in, or supported, the overthrow of Robespierre on the 9th Thermidor (27 July) 1794.
"By then, the Thermidorians’ sights were already trained on a further target, namely, ‘the Four’, as they became known: Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois and Barère from the old CPS and Vadier from the CGS."
- 1 Pertaining to such people (in French history).
"The Thermidorian spirit of revenge focused particularly on the most extreme – and most unrepentant – former Terrorists within the Convention."
- 2 Designating a relatively moderate reaction to a revolution.
"It is against the background of these Thermidorian tendencies in the Soviet Union that we have to view the so-called ‘Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution’ in China."
Example
More examples"By then, the Thermidorians’ sights were already trained on a further target, namely, ‘the Four’, as they became known: Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois and Barère from the old CPS and Vadier from the CGS."
Etymology
From Thermidor + -ian, after French thermidorien.