revolutionist
Americannoun
-
revolutionists
plural
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of revolutionist
First recorded in 1700–10; revolution + -ist
Explanation
Whether you’re overthrowing a government or protesting an unjust law, you could be called a revolutionist, someone who works for political or social change. A revolutionist is someone who wants to change the world — not just sitting around talking about it, but actually doing something to bring about change. Like its synonyms revolutionary and radical, a revolutionist is someone who questions authority, maybe by taking part in a demonstration to protest a government policy or by otherwise pointing out thing that he or she believes is wrong with society — then acting to try to fix it.
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.
See Examples For:
Justifying the strategy to an Oregon newspaper, McAfee said in 2005, “I am a revolutionist in this, and I won’t overlook any loophole that will get the milk out there.”
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
US President Thomas Jefferson, revolutionist Francis Lewis and Griffith Jenkin Griffith, "one of the true pioneers of Los Angeles", are also given an honourable mention by Rhys thanks to their Welsh ancestry.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
He then established the Newark Community Union Project and, with Robert Machover, filmed “Troublemakers,” a documentary film about civic action in Newark that some critics described as revolutionist.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
Here, I’m out there being a revolutionist for everybody else.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 23, 2019
This revolutionist, whose gloomy face was out of keeping with his carefully pomaded hair, kid gloves, silk hat, showy clothes and carefully trimmed whiskers à la Alexander II., was known to Makar as “the Dandy.”
From The White Terror and The Red A novel of revolutionary Russia by Abraham Cahan
Soon after independence was won, the founding fathers began conspiring against their fellow revolutionists among the hoi polloi.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2020
Around and about Soho at the time could be found dissidents and revolutionists from half the countries of Europe — Louis Blanc, Karl Marx, Giuseppe Mazzini, Lajos Kossuth and Alexander Herzen.
From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 2018
“I observed that circus. Who ever heard of angry revolutionists all harmonizing ‘We Shall Overcome.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 14, 2018
The TNC refuses the allegations aiming to associate al-Qaeda with the revolutionists in #Libya.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2011
Who ever heard of angry revolutionists all harmonizing “We Shall Overcome . . . Suum Day ...” while tripping and swaying along arm-in-arm with the very people they were supposed to be angrily revolting against?
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
