Réactionnelle

Réactionnelle is the feminine form of the French adjective réactionnel, itself derived from réaction. The term is used to describe something that relates to a reaction or that is reactive in nature, and it can also characterize attitudes, policies, or mechanisms that respond to stimuli or change.

In scientific and technical usage, réactionnelle can appear in phrases such as comportement réactionnel or réponse réactionnelle to denote systems or processes that respond to input. However, more specific vocabulary is common in many fields, with preferred terms like réactif, réactivité, cinétique, or réponse depending on the context.

In political and social discourse, réactionnel or réactionnelle is often a pejorative label for ideas or actors seen as opposed to reform or progress, aiming to preserve the status quo. Phrases such as un courant réactionnel or politiques réactionnelles are typical. The feminine form must agree with feminine nouns, as in tendances réactionnelles or attitudes réactionnelles. While related to réactionnaire, réactionnel emphasizes the reactive character of actions or stances, whereas réactionnaire tends to classify the stance itself as inherently opposed to change.

Etymology traces the word to réaction, with the suffix -nel forming an adjective meaning “relatif à la réaction.” In everyday language, réactionnelle can carry evaluative nuance and is less common in precise technical vocabulary than more specialized terms.