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REFERENCE

revolution

n.
US //ˌɹɛvəˈɫuʃən// UK //ɹˌɛvəlˈuːʃən// rev·o·lu·tion
  1. 1 political upheaval (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the removal of a government by force and its replacement with a new system.

    the forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favour of a new system.

    Example

    The country's revolution led to a new constitution and free elections.

    Example

    The political revolution of the late eighteenth century fundamentally altered the relationship between the state and its citizens across the continent.
  2. 2 major social change (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very big change in the way people do things or think about the world.

    a sudden, radical, or complete change in a system, discipline, or way of life.

    Example

    The digital revolution has changed how we communicate with each other.

    Example

    The industrial revolution triggered a massive migration from rural farming communities to rapidly expanding urban manufacturing centres.
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  1. 3 orbital motion (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the movement of one object around another, like the Earth around the Sun.

    the movement of an object in a circular or elliptical course around a central point or another body.

    Example

    The Earth takes one year to complete its revolution around the Sun.

    Example

    Astronomers calculated the planet's period of revolution by observing its position relative to distant background stars over several months.
  2. 4 a single turn (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    one complete turn of a wheel or a part of a machine.

    a single complete turn of a wheel or a cylinder around an axis.

    Example

    The engine was running at three thousand revolutions per minute.

    Example

    The technician monitored the revolutions of the turbine to ensure the vibrations remained within safe operational limits during the test.
Origin

Inherited from Middle English revolucion, borrowed from Old French revolucion, from Late Latin revolūtiōnem, accusative singular of revolūtiō (“the act of revolving; revolution”), from Latin revolvō (“roll back, revolve”).

Word family

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