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
Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Elizabeth Cooper dressed as a revolutionary soldier, complete with a long blue coat, white trousers and black hat.
—Alex Gladden, Oklahoman, 28 Mar. 2026
Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Until the 1950s, its inmates were Vietnamese revolutionaries – or anyone deemed to be such – and conditions were truly horrendous.
—Tamara Hinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
My mother had found a new, more revolutionary role model to follow—Fred Hampton, the charismatic twenty-one-year-old chairman of the Chicago Black Panthers.
—Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Elizabeth Cooper dressed as a revolutionary soldier, complete with a long blue coat, white trousers and black hat.
—Alex Gladden, Oklahoman, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
My mother wasn’t always a revolutionary.
—Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Until the 1950s, its inmates were Vietnamese revolutionaries – or anyone deemed to be such – and conditions were truly horrendous.
—Tamara Hinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolutionary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
