revolutionize

1 of 2

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

revolutionizer

2 of 2

noun

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​iz·​er

variants also British revolutioniser

-zə(r)

plural -s

: one that revolutionizes

revolutionizer of heavy industry

Examples of revolutionize in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

After fundamentally changing science more than a century ago, modern physics may be about to revolutionize the world of computers – with implications for everything from the speed of doing complex research to nations’ vulnerability to cyberattack. — Donald Keough, Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2026

Initially, surrealism revolutionized art. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026

Arroyo also revolutionized the company’s global agency network by consolidating creative, media and data operations. — Slma Shelbayah, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

In the late 1800s, transcontinental rail travel revolutionized the United States’ approach to agriculture. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

revolution + -ize

First Known Use

Verb

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