radically

American

[rad-ik-lee] / ˈræd ɪk li /

adjective

with regard to origin or root.
in a complete or basic manner; thoroughly; fundamentally.

radically British

/ ˈrædɪkəlɪ /

adverb

thoroughly; completely; fundamentally

to alter radically

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

nonradically adverb

Etymology

Origin of radically

First recorded in 1600–10; radical + -ly

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.

But even readers without religious commitments may be interested in the stories of how and why some people change their lives so radically, often at a considerable cost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Since the 2000s the city's planners have been preoccupied with building more utilitarian infrastructure, with new sea bridges and coastal roads, radically transforming how the city looks today.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“It’s no secret that the news business is changing radically, and that we need to change along with it,” they wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Zeesham Khan, 23, said he and his younger brother both knew people who had radically changed their mindsets after engaging with it.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

But high-stakes testing has so radically changed the incentives for teachers that they too now have added reason to cheat.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023