Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to the Jacobins or their principles: Pertaining to the radical political group (the Jacobins) active during the French Revolution, known for their advocacy of republicanism, centralization, and, during the Reign of Terror, their use of revolutionary violence and political purges.
   • Characterized by or supporting radical, revolutionary, or extremist political views: Describing principles, methods, or attitudes seen as excessively radical, doctrinaire, or intolerant, often by analogy to the perceived traits of the historical Jacobins.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The historian described the committee's methods as Jacobinical in their ruthless pursuit of ideological purity.
  • His speeches took on a Jacobinical fervor, calling for the complete overthrow of the old system.
  • Critics accused the reform movement of having Jacobinical tendencies, fearing it would lead to chaos.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical and political discourse, typically with a critical or pejorative connotation, to label a person, group, or policy as destructively radical or fanatical.
  • The pamphlet warned against the Jacobinical spirit that sought to destroy all traditional institutions.

Variants and Related Words

• Jacobin (noun): A member of the Jacobin Club, a radical political society during the French Revolution; by extension, a person holding similar radical views.
  • He was denounced as a Jacobin for his revolutionary rhetoric.
• Jacobinism (noun): The principles, policies, or practices characteristic of the Jacobins.
  • The essay was a critique of the centralizing tendencies of Jacobinism.

Synonyms

• Radical: Advocating for thorough or complete political or social reform.
• Revolutionary: Involving or causing a complete and dramatic change, especially in politics.
• Extremist: Holding extreme political or religious views; fanatical.
• Doctrinaire: Seeking to apply a theory or doctrine in a rigid, uncompromising way.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning is historical, directly connected to the French Revolution's Jacobin Club.
• The secondary, more common modern usage is figurative and critical, implying a harsh, uncompromising, and potentially violent approach to political change. It often carries a negative judgment.

Adjective

1. of or relating to the Jacobins of the French Revolution
   • Jacobinic terrorism