Phrase guide

reign of terror

name · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

name

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A brutal period of political violence and intimidation in the wake of a popular revolution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A period defined by tyranny and violation of rights without accountability for the party responsible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the historic period (1793-94) during the French Revolution when thousands were executed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the Reign of the Bourbons ended and the Reign of Terror began

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: historic period, age

5

noun

Meaning 5

any period of brutal suppression thought to resemble the Reign of Terror in France

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reign

History

Etymology

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.

From the Reign of Terror that took place during the French Revolution.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: Terreur — period of the French Revolution
  • German: Terrorherrschaft — period of the French Revolution
  • Spanish: Terror — period of the French Revolution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 恐怖时期 (Kǒngbù shíqí) — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Dutch: schrikbewind — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Finnish: hirmuvalta — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • German: Schreckensherrschaft — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • German: Terrorherrschaft — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Italian: regime del terrore — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Polish: rządy terroru — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Serbo-Croatian: страховла́да — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Serbo-Croatian: strahovláda — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Spanish: reinado del terror — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Spanish: reinado de terror — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Swedish: skräckvälde — period of brutal intimidation by those in power
  • Swedish: terrorvälde — period of brutal intimidation by those in power