revolution

American  

[rev-uh-loo-shuhn] / ˌrɛv əˈlu ʃən /

noun

revolutions plural

1. an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.

2. Sociology. a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence.

3. a sudden, complete or marked change in something.

   the present revolution in church architecture.

4. a procedure or course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point.

5. a single turn of this kind.

   Synonyms:

   rotation, round, circuit, cycle

6. Mechanics.

   1. a turning round or rotating, as on an axis.

   2. a moving in a circular or curving course, as about a central point.

   3. a single cycle in such a course.

7. Astronomy.

   1. (not in technical use) rotation.

   2. the orbiting of one heavenly body around another.

   3. a single course of such movement.

8. a round or cycle of events in time or a recurring period of time.

9. Geology. a time of worldwide orogeny and mountain-building.

---

revolution British  

/ ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən /

noun

1. the overthrow or repudiation of a regime or political system by the governed

2. (in Marxist theory) the violent and historically necessary transition from one system of production in a society to the next, as from feudalism to capitalism

3. a far-reaching and drastic change, esp in ideas, methods, etc

4. 1. movement in or as if in a circle

   2. one complete turn in such a circle

      a turntable rotating at 33 revolutions per minute

5. 1. the orbital motion of one body, such as a planet or satellite, around another Compare rotation

   2. one complete turn in such motion

6. a cycle of successive events or changes

7. obsolete geology a profound change in conditions over a large part of the earth's surface, esp one characterized by mountain building

   an orogenic revolution

---

revolution Scientific  

/ rĕv′ə-lo̅o̅′shən /

1. The motion of an object around a point, especially around another object or a center of mass.

2. A single complete cycle of such motion.

---

Usage

In everyday speech revolution and rotation are often used as synonyms, but in science they are not synonyms and have distinct meanings. The difference between the two terms lies in the location of the central axis that the object turns about. If the axis is outside the body itself—that is, if the object is orbiting about another object—then one complete orbit is called a revolution. But if the object is turning about an axis that passes through itself, then one complete cycle is called a rotation. This difference is often summed up in the statement “Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun.”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrevolution
  noun
• semirevolution
  noun
• antirevolution
  adjective
• postrevolution
  adjective
• prorevolution
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• revolutions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of revolution

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English revolucion, from Late Latin revolūtiōn-, stem of revolūtiō “rollback, rotation”; equivalent to revolute + -ion

Explanation

When a new development in an industry changes everything drastically, call it a revolution. The Internet has certainly caused a revolution in the way people lead their lives. Stemming from the Latin revolvere "to turn, roll back," revolution originally referred to the circuit of the stars through the sky. Today, it still means circuit when talking about the RPM, or revolutions per minute, in an engine. A revolution is also a drastic change in a field such as the fashion industry or technology, or similarly, a sudden, often violent uprising from the people to change the political system.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

revolution revolutions

Seeing members of the cast who were from the same parts of London as he was felt, he says, "like the revolution wasn't just in my head, it was happening across the country".

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

According to Clark, who also authors the Capital Flows and Asset Markets blog, the financial architecture built during the Thatcher-Reagan revolution of the 1980s is being dismantled.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Seized after the revolution, it became an office for the Agriculture Ministry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Wide adoption of phones running on so-called AI agents would be a revolution, but would also take control away from major apps, which aren't always happy about it.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

In 1850, die Boston doctors know very little about any kind of cell, even though the cell revolution is getting under way in Germany, thanks to Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

"The revolutions of the 1990s paved the way for the riches of the early noughties," he remembers.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

"But we're not afraid of revolutions when they are peaceful, well-thought and meant to last."

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

While not in any way rabble-rousing, they wage subtler revolutions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026

Tyndale’s text would be the basis for all subsequent English Bibles, which would anchor democratic revolutions of the English-speaking world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

He was going to work several revolutions at one time.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• coup
• innovation
• insurgency
• mutiny
• rebellion
• revolt
• shift
• strike
• transformation
• turmoil
• unrest
• upheaval
• uprising
• violence