of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change.
a revolutionary junta.
radically new or innovative; outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc..
a revolutionary discovery.
(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.
relating to or characteristic of a revolution
advocating or engaged in revolution
radically new or different
a revolutionary method of making plastics
rotating or revolving
of or relating to the conflict or period of the War of American Independence (1775–83)
of or relating to any of various other Revolutions, esp the Russian Revolution (1917) or the French Revolution (1789)
First recorded in 1765–75; revolution + -ary
A revolutionary person fearlessly advocates radical change. Revolutionary people and ideas challenge the status quo and might be violent or willing to upset the natural order to achieve their goals. Like the word revolve, it's all about turning things around. Revolutionary leaders want to change the world by any means necessary. Before he was the coolest face on a T-shirt, Che Guevara was ready to die for change in South America (and in fact, he did). You don't need to be violent to be revolutionary, just ask Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King. You don't even need to be political. Alexander McQueen, John Lennon, and Picasso could tell you that.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2024, computer scientist Sir Demis Hassabis shared the Nobel prize for Chemistry for "revolutionary" work on proteins, the building blocks of life.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Last week’s local elections came as close as the phlegmatic Brits come to delivering a revolutionary message.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
“It was a musical that was revolutionary and changed the game,” he said, characterizing the show as “a rock concert where a play breaks out.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
"That was about respecting your place in society, but in the revolutionary 1640s and 1650s, hat-honor became a real gesture of defiance in the political sphere."
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
The radical implications of the revolutionary legacy were no help at all so long as they remained only implications.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
