rev·o·lu·tion·ary
ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē 
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: tending to or promoting revolution
c
: constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change
a revolutionary new product
2
capitalized
: of or relating to the American Revolution or to the period in which it occurred
plural revolutionaries
1
: one engaged in a revolution
2
: an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines
Synonyms
Examples of revolutionary in a Sentence
Adjective
a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for
revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital
Noun
after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries
at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries
Recent Examples on the Web
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Dec. 2024
In a country with a conservative Muslim society, the students have leaned into the language of left-wing revolutionary politics.
—Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
As a portrait of young revolutionaries, Say Nothing crackles with the thrill and romance of committing one’s life to an armed cause.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for revolutionary 
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Adjective
The astrolabe was a revolutionary tool for calculating celestial positions and local time.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Dec. 2024
In a country with a conservative Muslim society, the students have leaned into the language of left-wing revolutionary politics.
—Saif Hasnat Atul Loke, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
In this light, an advocate for peaceful democratic change, who kept vigil in Tiananmen Square to protect students from oncoming tanks, had been similar to violent revolutionaries.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
As a portrait of young revolutionaries, Say Nothing crackles with the thrill and romance of committing one’s life to an armed cause.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for revolutionary
Dictionary Entries Near revolutionary
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolutionary. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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