revolutionary

1 of 2

adjective

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

revolutionarily

ˌre-və-ˌlü-shə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

revolutionariness

ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē-nəs 

noun

revolutionary

2 of 2

noun

plural revolutionaries

1

: one engaged in a revolution

2

: an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines

Synonyms of revolutionary

Adjective

• radical
• extreme

Noun

• radical
• rebel
• revolutionist
• extremist
• anarchist
• insurgent
• crazy
• reformer

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

Becoming Richard Pryor by Scott Saul Richard Pryor was a genius, a revolutionary, and such a truthful entertainer. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026

The popular versions include the striker’s face merged into photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, late Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and late Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Noun

Mao Zedong was a revolutionary who led the Communist Party during its crucial early days, winning a civil war against the ruling Nationalist Party in China, and then founding the modern-day People’s Republic of China. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Like his fellow revolutionaries, Jefferson recoiled from such aspects of empire, past and present. — Jackson Lears, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing revolutionary

• anti-revolutionary
• pre-revolutionary

Rhymes for revolutionary

• beneficiary
• bronchopulmonary
• evolutionary
• expeditionary
• extramedullary
• extraordinary
• extrapulmonary
• genitourinary
• geostationary
• hepatobiliary
• illocutionary
• insurrectionary

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