revolutionary

[ rev-uh-loo-shuh-ner-ee ]
See synonyms for: revolutionaryrevolutionaries on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. (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.

noun,plural rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies.
  1. a revolutionist.

Origin of revolutionary

1
First recorded in 1765–75; revolution + -ary

Other words for revolutionary

Other words from revolutionary

  • rev·o·lu·tion·ar·i·ly, adverb
  • rev·o·lu·tion·ar·i·ness, noun
  • an·ti·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, noun, plural an·ti·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies, adjective
  • non·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective, noun, plural non·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies.
  • post-Rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective
  • pre·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective
  • pro·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective
  • sem·i·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective, noun, plural sem·i·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies.
  • ul·tra·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective, noun, plural ul·tra·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·ies.
  • un·rev·o·lu·tion·ar·y, adjective

Words Nearby revolutionary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use revolutionary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for revolutionary (1 of 2)

revolutionary

/ (ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ) /


nounplural -aries
  1. a person who advocates or engages in revolution

adjective
  1. relating to or characteristic of a revolution

  2. advocating or engaged in revolution

  1. radically new or different: a revolutionary method of making plastics

  2. rotating or revolving

Derived forms of revolutionary

  • revolutionarily, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Revolutionary (2 of 2)

Revolutionary

/ (ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ) /


adjective
  1. mainly US 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)

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