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 1972, Audemars Piguet unveiled the revolutionary Royal Oak, introducing the now-famous blue tapisserie dial. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 21 July 2026 Since Bamse received her revolutionary treatment in May, four more koalas have received the injection-implant vaccine and been released back into the wild. — New Atlas, 21 July 2026
Noun
Or was July 4, 1776, for the revolutionaries who founded the US, actually an undistinguished day? — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of 2026. — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 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
  • More than anything, the reparations movement—despite being marginal for most of my life—is part of the Black radical tradition, and this is my inheritance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • In a season of Cassandras, the most radical thing a citizen can do may also be the most ordinary.
    — James Robenalt, Vanity Fair, 27 July 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 Houthi rebels have long been backed by Iran and reviled by Saudi Arabia.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Further complicating exports, Yemen's Houthi rebels are now disrupting shipping in the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, targeting Saudi tankers and threatening an alternative oil route.
    — Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Connecticut famers have been awaiting access to such relief after experiencing damages caused by disasters and extreme weather events in 2023 and 2024.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • The filmmakers have conceived a world that is both funny and extreme, navigating themes of bodily autonomy for both males and females through the playful and the monstrous.
    — William Earl, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • The inspiration behind this rock-and-roll icon, however, lies in Hindu spiritual symbolism, whose meanings contrast sharply with the rebellious image the logo projects.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • Judy Davis stars as Sybylla, a rebellious young woman in 19th century Australia who longs to be a writer, but her traditionalist parents refuse to indulge those dreams, sending her to board with her wealthy grandmother instead.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 July 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
  • More than four decades later, Kinnock’s actions remain among the most memorable examples of a political leader confronting extremists on his own side.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • Lamb also swapped racist jokes with a border extremist in an online message exchange, The Republic found, and spent months launching a multimillion-dollar ranch business in Tennessee while running for Congress in Arizona.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • Indeed, antisemitisms prove that a society can hold contradictory images simultaneously, such as the fact that the Jews are both anarchists out to destroy capitalism as well as capitalists out to exploit the working class.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
  • The film follows Lena (Lena Trifunović), an anarchist student active in Belgrade’s anti-government movement, and Stefan (Andrija Krivokapić), a working-class youth who finds himself, almost by chance, among pro-government loyalists.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 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 30 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of revolutionary for Spanish Speakers

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