revolutionary

1 of 2

adjective

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ary ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce revolutionary (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: tending to or promoting revolution
c
: constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change
a revolutionary new product
2
capitalized : of or relating to the American Revolution or to the period in which it occurred
revolutionarily adverb
revolutionariness noun

revolutionary

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
That includes revolutionary applications that extend beyond cryonics and freezing billionaires who want the chance to live forever. Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Record revelations that float through your mind as Mercury harmonizes with revolutionary Uranus. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Paul is able to fulfill his role as revolutionary leader of the Fremen in part because of plans laid by the Bene Gesserit — the mysterious order of space witches, of which his mother is a member, shown throughout both films. Lucas Trevor, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Following signing of a Letter of Intent, SAML is currently finalizing the Stock Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of a British Manufacturer of Autonomous Vehicles which supplies its revolutionary technology to the defense and security sectors. Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 Before finishing her degree, Obst left Columbia to edit the Random House book The Sixties, a historical look back at the revolutionary decade through interviews with key voices. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Yet, revolutionary impact also demands evolutionary caution. Gillian Oakenfull, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The once revolutionary fake meat purveyor can’t seem to outrun the looming specter of its own demise. Marnie Shure / The Takeout, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Your quiet, authentic leadership can be revolutionary. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Wayne Kramer, who died Feb. 2 at the age of 75, lived a truly rock n’ roll life, from his gloriously unhinged guitar playing with influential proto-punk revolutionaries MC5 to a prison term, years of addiction, and a musical comeback in the Nineties. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2024 Elegantly directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, Sunset Baby centers on Kenyatta (a heartbreaking Russell Hornsby), a Black revolutionary and formerly incarcerated political prisoner who seeks out his adult daughter, Nina (played with lacerating force by Moses Ingram). Liz Appel, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024 Instead, the men are highlighted in their full and colorful humanity as revolutionaries, fathers and husbands with extraordinary but differing visions that would change the course of history. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Jan. 2024 Tamil guerrillas set off street bombs in Colombo while the corpses of JVP revolutionaries floated down rivers. Anjum Hasan, The New York Review of Books, 28 Dec. 2023 His parents also agreed to help hide the revolutionary, but after he was caught, they were wanted by the authorities. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 The Failure of the Revolutionaries The socialist revolutionaries were the first of the factions to fail. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 27 Dec. 2023 The evolution of cybersecurity and digital identity from science fiction to reality has been nothing short of revolutionary. Tony Bradley, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 French revolutionaries pinned cockades to their clothes; suffragettes slung purple-​and-​green sashlike ribbons across their chests. Alice Robb, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'revolutionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

revolution + -ary entry 2

Noun

revolution + -ary entry 1, after French révolutionnaire

First Known Use

Adjective

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of revolutionary was in 1718

Dictionary Entries Near revolutionary

Cite this Entry

“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolutionary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

revolutionary

adjective
rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ary
ˌrev-ə-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: favoring revolution
c
: being or bringing about a big or important change
a revolutionary new product
2
capitalized : of or relating to the American Revolution
revolutionary noun

More from Merriam-Webster on revolutionary

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