Luddite
[ luhd-ahyt ]
/ ˈlʌd aɪt /
noun
a member of any of various bands of workers in England (1811–16) organized to destroy manufacturing machinery, under the belief that its use diminished employment.
someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.
Origin of Luddite
1805–15; after Ned
Ludd, 18th-century Leicestershire worker who originated the idea; see
-ite1
OTHER WORDS FROM Luddite
Lud·dism, Lud·dit·ism, nounExample sentences from the Web for luddites
British Dictionary definitions for luddites
Luddite
/ (ˈlʌdaɪt) /
noun English history
any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816
any opponent of industrial change or innovation
adjective
of or relating to the Luddites
Derived forms of Luddite
Luddism, nounWord Origin for Luddite
C19: alleged to be named after Ned
Ludd, an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery
Cultural definitions for luddites
Luddites
[ (lud-eyets) ]
Opponents of the introduction of labor-saving machinery. The original Luddites, followers of a legendary Ned Ludd, were British laborers of the early nineteenth century who smashed textile-making machines that threatened their jobs.
notes for Luddites
Contemporary opponents of technological change are sometimes called “Luddites.”