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revolutionary 1 of 2

adjective

ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce revolutionary (audio)
Definition of revolutionarynext
1
as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for

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2
as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital

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revolutionary

2 of 2

noun

1
as in rebel
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries

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2
as in revolutionist
a person who rises up against authority at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of revolutionary
Adjective
In a kingdom that understood rank as God’s design, the question was revolutionary. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of CreateOne’s platform is who’s using it. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
Centrist Democrats are not socialists, not revolutionaries, and not disposed to blame Zionist conspiracies for every trouble in American life, including police brutality and urban gentrification. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026 To make matters worse, ten days later, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionary
  1. radical
  2. insurgent
  3. rebel
  4. extreme
  5. rebellious
  6. revolutionist
  7. extremist
  8. anarchist
Adjective
  • Niacinamide soothes and evens tone, while rice bran extract conditions skin and helps defend against free-radical damage.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Medical advances and especially vaccination — a radical concept, once — have nearly eliminated childhood diseases that killed up to half of children before age 5 when the nation was founded.
    — Jonathan Fahey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of radical
Adjective
  • Four years ago, during his insurgent first campaign, this editorial board had been wary of some of Mejia’s radical rhetoric.
    — The Editorial Board, Daily News, 10 June 2026
  • Myanmar is worried about resistance to military rule, India is concerned with insurgent groups in its northeast.
    — Michael Sullivan, NPR, 30 May 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • As Houthi rebels closed in, Eshraq Abdel Gelil and her husband fled their home, walking through the mountains before catching a ride to a nearby city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia struggles to rally support With the world’s biggest oil exporter under fire from rebels backed by the Saudis’ regional adversary, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military assistance.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Overdosing on the drug can cause extreme drowsiness, confusion, impaired coordination, decreased reflexes, respiratory depression, coma and possible death.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the Rocky Mountains, years of extreme heat and drought have baked the landscape, drying up streams that feed the Colorado River and desiccating pastures where cattle graze.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • The tech world has always had a self-consciously rebellious relationship with societal norms.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Costarring Katey Sagal, Amy Davidson, James Garner, and David Spade, the series followed the futile attempts of Ritter’s Paul Hennessy and Sagal’s Cate Hennessy to tame their rebellious teenage daughter, Bridget (Cuoco).
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • As the head of China’s Nationalist government, Chiang and his party were trying to establish control in a nation divided among revolutionists, nationalists, Indigenous warlords, and a developing communist army and government.
    — Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Many revolutionists see heavy tank casualties in Ukraine as the key indicator for the tank’s looming obsolescence in the face of newly lethal precision antitank weapons.
    — Stephen Biddle, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2023
Definition of revolutionist
Noun
  • The caption on the video claims that a group of Muslim extremists kidnapped and beheaded a Christian man for refusing to convert to Islam.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Dictators chose repression, extremists chose violence, and regional powers pursued their interests.
    — Ayman M. Mohyeldin, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • Until the Day Ends stars Lena Trifunović as Lena, an anarchist student, and Andrija Krivokapić as Stefan, a working-class youth with friends who are pro-government loyalists.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Something common to the plans and schemes of crypto-anarchists is a certain Rube Goldberg fussiness.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of anarchist

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revolutionary
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Cite this Entry

“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionary. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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