rev·o·lu·tion·ary
ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē 
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: tending to or promoting revolution
a revolutionary movement/leader
c
: constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change
a revolutionary new product
2
Revolutionary
: of or relating to the American Revolution or to the period in which it occurred
plural revolutionaries
1
: one engaged in a revolution
2
: an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines
Examples of revolutionary in a Sentence
Adjective
a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for
revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital
Noun
after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries
at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries
Recent Examples on the Web
W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2025
The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican revolutionary group born out of Chicago that later expanded to New York, included many Dominican women and men who, together, fought for housing rights, education access, and community health programs that impacted both communities.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 24 Nov. 2025
Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Cortinas’ efforts for the government to reveal the truth about her son’s whereabouts sparked the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement, where the mothers of revolutionaries protested and pressured the despotic government for information about their missing children.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
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Adjective
For all the energy society invests in culture today, little has emerged that feels new, and certainly nothing revolutionary enough to properly outmode the past.
—W. David Marx, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2025
The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican revolutionary group born out of Chicago that later expanded to New York, included many Dominican women and men who, together, fought for housing rights, education access, and community health programs that impacted both communities.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
And then there’s the woman herself, Perfidia Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor), a Black revolutionary who mixes politics and pleasure with brash abandon.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Cortinas’ efforts for the government to reveal the truth about her son’s whereabouts sparked the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement, where the mothers of revolutionaries protested and pressured the despotic government for information about their missing children.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolutionary. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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