of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change.
a revolutionary junta.
radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc..
a revolutionary discovery.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the American Revolution or to the period contemporaneous with it in U.S. history.
Revolutionary heroes; Revolutionary weapons.
relating to or characteristic of a revolution
advocating or engaged in revolution
radically new or different
a revolutionary method of making plastics
rotating or revolving
of or relating to the conflict or period of the War of American Independence (1775–83)
of or relating to any of various other Revolutions, esp the Russian Revolution (1917) or the French Revolution (1789)
First recorded in 1765–75; revolution + -ary
A revolutionary person fearlessly advocates radical change. Revolutionary people and ideas challenge the status quo and might be violent or willing to upset the natural order to achieve their goals. Like the word revolve, it's all about turning things around. Revolutionary leaders want to change the world by any means necessary. Before he was the coolest face on a T-shirt, Che Guevara was ready to die for change in South America (and in fact, he did). You don't need to be violent to be revolutionary, just ask Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King. You don't even need to be political. Alexander McQueen, John Lennon, and Picasso could tell you that.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A base of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is located near the school.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
“There has been no change in the management of the Strait of Hormuz,” Sardar Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the paramilitary group.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
In early February, Mohammadi was sentenced by a Revolutionary Court to an additional seven-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted of "gathering and collusion" and "propaganda activities", her lawyer said.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boarded two containerships near the Strait, the country’s Tasnim news agency said on Sunday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
On October 19 Cornwallis surrendered, ending the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
