radical
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing a very big or important change that affects the basic nature of something.
adj.relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thoroughgoing.
Simple“The company needs a radical change in how it treats its customers.”
In context“The new CEO proposed a radical restructuring of the entire organization to eliminate redundant management layers.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.supporting complete social or political change.
adj.advocating for thorough or complete social and political reform from the roots up.
Simple“He joined a radical political group while he was at university.”
In context“The manifesto outlined a radical vision for wealth redistribution that alienated the more moderate members of the party.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.someone who wants to change the whole social or political system.
n.a person who advocates for thorough or complete social and political reform.
Simple“In the 1960s, many students were seen as radicals by the government.”
In context“The historian argued that the radicals of the nineteenth century paved the way for modern democratic institutions.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a group of atoms that usually stays together during a chemical reaction.
n.an atom, molecule, or ion that has at least one unpaired valence electron and is often highly reactive.
Simple“Antioxidants help protect your body from damage caused by free radicals.”
In context“The researcher monitored the formation of short-lived radicals during the combustion process using high-speed spectroscopy.”
Synonymsfree radical - 05 C1 Advanced
n.the part of a Chinese character that often shows its general meaning.
n.the graphical component of a Chinese character under which the character is traditionally listed in a dictionary.
Simple“The radical for 'water' appears on the left side of many characters related to liquid.”
In context“Students of Mandarin often find that memorizing the 214 traditional radicals significantly accelerates their ability to recognize complex characters.”
Synonymscomponentclassifier - 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a sign used to show the root of a number, like a square root.
n.a quantity expressed as a root of another quantity; also the symbol used to denote such a root.
Simple“You need to simplify the expression under the radical.”
In context“The equation requires the extraction of a cubic radical to find the value of the unknown variable.”
Synonyms
Usage radical attack · radical challenge
“And on Broadway, Cats: The Jellicle Ball , a heartbreakingly brilliant interpretation of the original show in which a tired-seeming vehicle, badly damaged by the terrible film version, gets a radical makeover.”
“That’s why hearing reproductive education discussed in the context of aiding women’s self-understanding, wellbeing and mental health feels so radical.”
PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.