revolutionary

1 of 2

adjective

rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ary ˌre-və-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce revolutionary (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or constituting a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: tending to or promoting revolution
c
: constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change
a revolutionary new product
2
capitalized : of or relating to the American Revolution or to the period in which it occurred
revolutionarily adverb
revolutionariness noun

revolutionary

2 of 2

noun

plural revolutionaries
1
: one engaged in a revolution
2
: an advocate or adherent of revolutionary doctrines

Examples of revolutionary in a Sentence

Adjective a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital Noun after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Given that the first edition iPhone 4GB was only sold for two months, despite being so revolutionary, it’s become quite the collector’s item. Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 But with this fresh platform — revolutionary not just for its ease of use, but also its short format and access to massive audiences — a newer question has also emerged: Is a traditional career still what these comics want? Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024 Yet, while Hendrix’s music was revolutionary for its time, Ingram’s is more evolutionary. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024 Bremerton was as revolutionary for its own area of law as Dobbs was for reproductive rights. Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2024 However, the journey to Web3 unveils a revolutionary shift in engagement strategies, redefining the essence of consumer interaction and community engagement in the digital era. Sandy Carter, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Their presence is also complicated by an ancient, controversial legend, a tale that anticipates the coming of a revolutionary fighter, the Voice From the Outer World. Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 That includes revolutionary applications that extend beyond cryonics and freezing billionaires who want the chance to live forever. Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Record revelations that float through your mind as Mercury harmonizes with revolutionary Uranus. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
Though Black westerns had existed before Buck, this storyline—Black and Native Americans joining forces to oppose white supremacy—made the movie revolutionary, says Mia Mask, a film studies scholar at Vassar College and the author of Black Rodeo: A History of the African American Western. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Best known for his midnight ride to warn the American revolutionaries of the incoming British armies, Paul Revere was both a revolutionary himself and a master silversmith, and for those hoping to honor his legacy, there’s no better base than the Revere Hotel. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The evolution from traditional dental practices to digital methods has been nothing short of revolutionary. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 Wayne Kramer, who died Feb. 2 at the age of 75, lived a truly rock n’ roll life, from his gloriously unhinged guitar playing with influential proto-punk revolutionaries MC5 to a prison term, years of addiction, and a musical comeback in the Nineties. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2024 Elegantly directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, Sunset Baby centers on Kenyatta (a heartbreaking Russell Hornsby), a Black revolutionary and formerly incarcerated political prisoner who seeks out his adult daughter, Nina (played with lacerating force by Moses Ingram). Liz Appel, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024 Instead, the men are highlighted in their full and colorful humanity as revolutionaries, fathers and husbands with extraordinary but differing visions that would change the course of history. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Jan. 2024 Tamil guerrillas set off street bombs in Colombo while the corpses of JVP revolutionaries floated down rivers. Anjum Hasan, The New York Review of Books, 28 Dec. 2023 His parents also agreed to help hide the revolutionary, but after he was caught, they were wanted by the authorities. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'revolutionary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

revolution + -ary entry 2

Noun

revolution + -ary entry 1, after French révolutionnaire

First Known Use

Adjective

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of revolutionary was in 1718

Dictionary Entries Near revolutionary

Cite this Entry

“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolutionary. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

revolutionary

adjective
rev·​o·​lu·​tion·​ary
ˌrev-ə-ˈlü-shə-ˌner-ē
1
a
: of, relating to, or involving a revolution
revolutionary war
b
: favoring revolution
c
: being or bringing about a big or important change
a revolutionary new product
2
capitalized : of or relating to the American Revolution
revolutionary noun

More from Merriam-Webster on revolutionary

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