revolutionary

1 of 2

adjective

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

revolutionarily

ˌre-və-ˌlü-shə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

revolutionariness

ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē-nəs 

noun

revolutionary

2 of 2

noun

plural revolutionaries

1

: one engaged in a revolution

2

: an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines

Synonyms

Adjective

• extreme
• extremist
• fanatic
• fanatical
• rabid
• radical
• revolutionist
• ultra

Noun

• crazy
• extremist
• radical
• revolutionist

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

Adjective

Not all regulatory frameworks will allow AI to be truly revolutionary. —Julie Yoo, STAT, 17 June 2024

Others promote particular political aims, reactionary as well as revolutionary. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 13 June 2024

Noun

The Kim family — sometimes referred to as the Mount Paektu bloodline — is the hereditary dictatorship of the country founded by communist revolutionary Kim Il Sung. —Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 20 June 2024

American revolutionaries embraced the hat as a symbol, now calling it a liberty cap. —Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

revolution + -ary entry 2

Noun

revolution + -ary entry 1, after French révolutionnaire

First Known Use

Adjective

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing revolutionary

• anti-revolutionary
• pre-revolutionary

Kids Definition

revolutionary

adjective

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ary

ˌrev-ə-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē

1

a

: of, relating to, or involving a revolution

revolutionary war

b

: favoring revolution

c

: being or bringing about a big or important change

a revolutionary new product

2

capitalized : of or relating to the American Revolution

revolutionary noun