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revolution

[ rev-uh-loo-shuhn ]

/ ˌrɛv əˈlu ʃən /

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See synonyms for revolution on Thesaurus.com

noun

an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.

Sociology. a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence.Compare social evolution.

a sudden, complete or marked change in something: the present revolution in church architecture.

a procedure or course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point.

a single turn of this kind.

Mechanics.

a turning round or rotating, as on an axis.
a moving in a circular or curving course, as about a central point.
a single cycle in such a course.

Astronomy.

(not in technical use) rotation (def. 2).
the orbiting of one heavenly body around another.
a single course of such movement.

a round or cycle of events in time or a recurring period of time.

Geology. a time of worldwide orogeny and mountain-building.

OTHER WORDS FOR revolution

5 cycle, circuit, round, rotation.

See synonyms for revolution on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR REVOLUTION

Why Are Only Some Wars Called "Revolutions"?

There's a reason why some wars include the word revolution in their names and why others don't. Is it because revolutions completely overhaul the old way of doing things, they inspire something new in all of us?

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of revolution

1350–1400; Middle English revolucion<Late Latin revolūtiōn- (stem of revolūtiō), equivalent to revolūt(us) (see revolute) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM revolution

an·ti·rev·o·lu·tion, adjectivenon·rev·o·lu·tion, nounpost·rev·o·lu·tion, adjectivepro·rev·o·lu·tion, adjective

sem·i·rev·o·lu·tion, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH revolution

rebellion, revolt, revolution

Words nearby revolution

revoice, revoke, revolt, revolting, revolute, revolution, revolutionary, Revolutionary calendar, Revolutionary War, Revolutionary Wars, revolution counter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use revolution in a sentence

This argument now is largely dead, thanks to the fracking revolution, which has greatly expanded US oil and gas production.
The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite|By Scott L. Montgomery/The Conversation|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
Yes, everything changed with the computing revolution, as we’ll hear in a minute.
The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 20, 2020|Freakonomics
Back in January, I wrote a big story for Fortune about the ongoing revolution in natural language processing.
Can A.I. understand poetry?|Jeremy Kahn|August 18, 2020|Fortune
One of the biggest barriers to the renewable energy revolution is working out how to store power when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.
Scientists Found a Way to Turn Bricks Into Batteries|Edd Gent|August 17, 2020|Singularity Hub

Some experts insist that gene editing has the potential to spark a new food revolution.
Biotechnology Could Change the Cattle Industry. Will It Succeed?|Dyllan Furness|August 16, 2020|Singularity Hub
What had been the greatest asset of the paperback revolution,” observes Rabinowitz, “became its greatest danger.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That Stone would slander the democratic, pro-Western, EuroMaidan revolution as a CIA coup is no surprise.
Oliver Stone’s Latest Dictator Suckup|James Kirchick|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The New York governor was the foremost Democrat to stand athwart the Reagan Revolution.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82|Eleanor Clift|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In response, the April Revolution protests erupted in much of the country.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After the Iranian Revolution, discrimination took on a sectarian flavor.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
He will tell you about the success he had in America; it quite makes up for the defeat of the British army in the Revolution.
Confidence|Henry James
He joined the army at the outbreak of the revolution, and continued in it until it was disbanded.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
This may be called the first day of the revolution, although the object of the meeting was to prevent such a catastrophe.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Among the middle class there was a strong party which had accepted the doctrines of the French Revolution.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for revolution

revolution

/ (ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən) /

noun

the overthrow or repudiation of a regime or political system by the governed

(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

a far-reaching and drastic change, esp in ideas, methods, etc

movement in or as if in a circle
one complete turn in such a circlea turntable rotating at 33 revolutions per minute

the orbital motion of one body, such as a planet or satellite, around anotherCompare rotation (def. 5a)
one complete turn in such motion

a cycle of successive events or changes

geology obsolete a profound change in conditions over a large part of the earth's surface, esp one characterized by mountain buildingan orogenic revolution

Word Origin for revolution

C14: via Old French from Late Latin revolūtiō, from Latin revolvere to revolve

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

Scientific definitions for revolution

revolution

[ rĕv′ə-lōō′shən ]

The motion of an object around a point, especially around another object or a center of mass.

A single complete cycle of such motion.

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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.