revolutionary

[rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee]

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change.

   a revolutionary junta.

2. radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc..

   a revolutionary discovery.

   Synonyms: unorthodox, drastic, novel, unprecedented

3. (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.

4. revolving.

noun

plural

revolutionaries 

1. a revolutionist.

revolutionary

¹

/ ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ /

noun

1. a person who advocates or engages in revolution

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of a revolution

2. advocating or engaged in revolution

3. radically new or different

   a revolutionary method of making plastics

4. rotating or revolving

Revolutionary

²

/ ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the conflict or period of the War of American Independence (1775–83)

2. of or relating to any of various other Revolutions, esp the Russian Revolution (1917) or the French Revolution (1789)

Other Word Forms

• revolutionarily adverb
• revolutionariness noun
• antirevolutionary noun
• nonrevolutionary adjective
• post-Revolutionary adjective
• prerevolutionary adjective
• prorevolutionary adjective
• semirevolutionary adjective
• ultrarevolutionary adjective
• unrevolutionary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of revolutionary¹

First recorded in 1765–75; revolution + -ary

Example Sentences

In high school, many Americans learn of Eli Whitney’s revolutionary cotton gin.

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During Cook’s years at the helm, Apple hasn’t unveiled a revolutionary technology or introduced a new product that will reshape people’s lives the way the iPhone did.

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It was educational — though I didn’t fact-check — weaving in the stories of artists considered revolutionary in their time, like Morisot, Monet and Degas.

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Invest in revolutionary products and experiments that will keep outside skeptics and inside financiers happy with the way the company operates.

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I first encountered his name, in fact, in a 1970s biography of the Irish revolutionary Liam Mellows by Marxist historian Desmond Greaves, who mentions Hillquit several times without bothering to explain who he was.

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Related Words

• contemporary 
• innovative 
• modern 
• radical