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
Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
The gunmen removed the revolutionary flag and replaced it with the black banner of ISIS.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
In Angola, the Cuban revolutionary Jorge Risquet spent several years coordinating Cuban and Soviet support for the country’s Marxist government fighting, and defeating, a formidable tandem of CIA cash and South African firepower.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
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Adjective
Hassan Khomeini, early 50s Khomeini is the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, giving him religious and revolutionary legitimacy.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
The gunmen removed the revolutionary flag and replaced it with the black banner of ISIS.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Noun
And, in the mid-1770s, that traveler might also hear talk of revolution, men recruiting others to join the militia fighting the British, even revolutionaries meeting in secret.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
In Angola, the Cuban revolutionary Jorge Risquet spent several years coordinating Cuban and Soviet support for the country’s Marxist government fighting, and defeating, a formidable tandem of CIA cash and South African firepower.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2026.
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