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
On the other, a boat flew a different flag, which Dawes believed could be the flag of the revolutionary group the Sons of Liberty, who were responsible for the Boston Tea Party. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026 In the late 20th century the Zapatista National Liberation Army (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional; EZLN), named for the peasant revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, was founded to protect Indigenous communities. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
But, even then, American socialists walked a fine line—they were considered too radical for the mainstream and a mere bourgeois affectation by committed class revolutionaries. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 That’s what Robespierre and other revolutionaries taught us in 1789. — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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
  • Tom Rhys Harries stars as an actor who turns to AI and nanotechnology for a radical solution after a mob boss disfigures him.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Methods once associated with organized radical militants have spread to a younger generation.
    — Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 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
  • The attack comes as Colombia’s conservative government changes the nation’s security strategy and takes a more confrontational approach towards gangs and rebel groups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The blast comes amid President Abelardo de la Espriella’s tougher security strategy, which includes ending rebel talks and renewing operations against gangs and armed groups.
    — Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Many of these materials are made from oil, which emits pollutants when burned, driving climate change and fueling extreme weather.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The flooding comes after extreme weather hit the Southwest throughout the week.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • The selection also features Dutch director Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle, exploring whether a rebellious outsider can find her place in the world after years of isolation from her community.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Five years earlier my brother had gotten married, leaving me home alone without the buffers of his distracted affection, his big brotherly insouciance, his rebellious indifference to the emotional chasm widening between our parents.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 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
  • Much of that money has been used for TV advertisements and mailers portraying Vang as an extremist, highlighting her association with Piker and her refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Struck by the negative representations of Arabs in the media, Odeh was appointed regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, whose East Coast offices had been targeted by extremists in 1985.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • Political dissent spurred these efforts, as in the case of the activist and anarchist Emma Goldman.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The situation on the ground is unpredictable because the students, communists, anarchists, anti-Israel and other protesters that have collaborated to make France a worse place to visit in recent days might do something no one expects.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of anarchist

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Cite this Entry

“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionary. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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