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
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, was founded by revolutionary statesman Sun Yat-sen and his Nationalist movement on the mainland in 1912.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
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Adjective
That is also a revolutionary element.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, was founded by revolutionary statesman Sun Yat-sen and his Nationalist movement on the mainland in 1912.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
On the left, Anderson trots out stock characters — the oversexed Black woman revolutionary, Leo’s cuckolded white stoner, doctrinaire newcomers — from a Bob Hope skit about hippies.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 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 21 Mar. 2026.
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