revolutionize

verb

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ize ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌnīz 

revolutionized; revolutionizing

transitive verb

1

: to overthrow the established government of

2

: to imbue with revolutionary doctrines

3

: to change fundamentally or completely

revolutionize an industry

intransitive verb

: to engage in revolution

revolutionizer noun

Examples of revolutionize in a Sentence

The invention of the airplane revolutionized travel.

This new drug may revolutionize cancer treatment.

This discovery has revolutionized our understanding of how the human brain works.

Recent Examples on the Web

Four titles, a decade of dominance and a playing style that revolutionized the sport. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026

Fertilizers revolutionized agriculture, providing essential nutrients to plants. —Kyla Mandel, Time, 15 Apr. 2026

Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the assembly line and helped create the American middle class with the $5-a-day wage. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

In the 1980s, Miami Vice revolutionized both the police procedural and the titular city's style. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

revolution + -ize

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for revolutionize

• contextualize
• industrialize
• materialise
• materialize
• memorialize
• microenterprise
• overemphasize
• particularize
• revolutionise
• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise

Kids Definition

revolutionize

verb

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ize ˌrev-ə-ˈlü-shə-ˌnīz 

revolutionized; revolutionizing

1

: to overthrow the established government of

2

: to cause a person to become a revolutionist

3

: to change greatly or completely

an invention that revolutionized the industry

revolutionizer noun