luddite
UK[ˈlʌd.aɪt]US[ˈlʌd.aɪt]
n
A person who is opposed to new technology or ways of working, especially in industry.
Etymology
The term 'Luddite' is an eponym, deriving from the name Ned Ludd, a folkloric figure from late 18th-century England. During the Industrial Revolution, groups of English textile workers, fearing technological unemployment, organized protests and machine-breaking. These protesters adopted the symbolic name 'Captain Ludd' or 'King Ludd,' linking their actions to the legendary figure. Over time, 'Luddite' evolved from a specific historical label for these rebels into a general term for anyone who resists new technologies, carrying connotations of obstructionism rooted in fear of change.
Analysis
The word is a proper name converted into a common noun. It originates from the name Ned Ludd, a (possibly mythical) English laborer who was said to have destroyed weaving machinery around 1779.
Examples
He's a bit of a luddite who refuses to use a smartphone and still writes letters by hand.
The new software was met with resistance from the luddites in the accounting department.
Critics accused the environmental group of being luddites for opposing the new, more efficient power plant.