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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

Somoza made it to Miami as his regime collapsed during the Sandinista revolution, then moved on to the Bahamas and ultimately to Paraguay, then under the rule of military dictator Alfredo Stroessner.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

Williams: I think we're starting to experience a major revolution in the field, and it is absolutely worth going into.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

My family fled Iran during the revolution of 1979, when the Shah, who had protected religious minorities, was overthrown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The economy has been turbocharged by massive spending on AI and all materials supporting an ongoing technological revolution.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

The real revolution in astronomy came with Tycho Brahe’s nova, with the abandonment of belief in the crystalline spheres, and with the invention of the telescope.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Two revolutions radically reduced the power of individual landowners to use their land.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

“There were demonstrations in the streets, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, drug revolutions, sex revolutions, riots, race riots. So we thought, what a good time to go out and do Black and white comedy.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

But this one, her sixth, dances us through her evolution and many revolutions, serving up everything from jazz to funk to Chicago house on the dance track “Right Here Right Now.”

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

The French and the American revolutions both saw more or less tyrannical polities overtaken—at least on paper—by forms of representative democracy.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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