revolutionary
Americanadjective
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- unorthodox, drastic, novel, unprecedented
-
(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
revolutionariesnoun
adjective
-
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
adjective
-
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)
Other Word Forms
- antirevolutionary noun
- nonrevolutionary adjective
- post-Revolutionary adjective
- prerevolutionary adjective
- prorevolutionary adjective
- revolutionarily adverb
- revolutionariness noun
- semirevolutionary adjective
- ultrarevolutionary adjective
- unrevolutionary adjective
Etymology
Origin of revolutionary
First recorded in 1765–75; revolution + -ary
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.
It is not a dismissal of AI, which is a truly revolutionary technology backed by massive demand.
From MarketWatch
What made it so damaging this time was the revolutionary context.
Anderson's film, which depicts the hunt for former far-left revolutionaries by a white supremacist, seems destined for the best picture Oscar, having already secured numerous awards.
From Barron's
In its chaotic aftermath, revolutionary elites — with Khomeini’s backing — asked Khamenei to run for president.
From Los Angeles Times
CEOs still have to convince customers and shareholders alike that the advent of quantum will be revolutionary.
From Barron's
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.
