radically
Americanadjective
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with regard to origin or root.
-
in a complete or basic manner; thoroughly; fundamentally.
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of radically
Explanation
The adverb radically is a great way to say "in an extreme way." When your formerly long-haired friend shows up at work with a crew cut, you could say that she looks radically different. Use radically to describe things that are done in a big way, particularly a change or an extreme position. For example, the government in your state might change radically after an important election. You'll often see the phrase "radically different" used to mean a change that's enormous, possibly even transforming. Though the root of radically, radical, originally meant "root of a word," it came to mean "far-reaching, innovative, or extreme," especially when it describes political views.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his book “Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter,” Mukunda predicted that “most of the CEOs who try to radically transform a company will fail.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
The cannibalistic Laestrygonians become towering armored warriors, while other episodes are combined or radically re-imagined, with characters and storylines invented from whole cloth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It pretty radically decreases the cost of building out these giant satellite constellations that China has made very clear that it wants to build out,” Bresnick said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
IS has radically shifted in recent years, with around 90% of its attacks now taking place in sub-Saharan Africa, analysts say.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
As geometrical hypotheses, the Ptolemaic, Tychonic and Copernican systems were equivalent; but as astronomical hypotheses they were radically different.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
