English Reference
adjective · noun

revolutionary

adj. · n.
US /ˌɹɛvəˈɫuʃəˌnɛɹi/ UK /ɹˌɛvəlˈuːʃənəɹi/ rev·o·lu·tion·ary UK spelling revolutionaries, revolutionary's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.connected with a political revolution or wanting to change a government by force.

    adj.relating to, involving, or promoting a political revolution.

    Simple

    The revolutionary leaders met in secret to plan the overthrow of the government.

    In context

    The revolutionary movement gained momentum as the working class became increasingly disillusioned with the monarch's refusal to implement basic reforms.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.completely new and having a great effect on how something is done.

    adj.involving or causing a complete or dramatic change in a system, method, or mindset.

    Simple

    The invention of the smartphone was a revolutionary moment in human history.

    In context

    The scientist proposed a revolutionary theory that challenged the fundamental laws of physics as they were understood at the time.

    groundbreakinginnovativenovel
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    adj.moving in a circle around a central point.

    adj.relating to or engaged in the act of revolving or circular motion.

    Simple

    The revolutionary motion of the planets around the sun takes different amounts of time.

    In context

    The engineer calculated the revolutionary speed of the turbine to ensure it would not exceed the structural limits of the casing.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.someone who starts or takes part in a political revolution.

    n.a person who advocates or engages in political revolution.

    Simple

    He was a famous revolutionary who spent years fighting for his country's freedom.

    In context

    History remembers her as a dedicated revolutionary who refused to compromise her ideals even when faced with life imprisonment.

    rebelmutineer
  5. 05 C1 Advanced Informal Music

    n.a famous and difficult piece of piano music by Frédéric Chopin.

    n.a common informal reference to Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor.

    Simple

    She practiced the Revolutionary for hours to master the fast left-hand part.

    In context

    The pianist chose to close the first half of the recital with the Revolutionary, showcasing his technical command of the etude's stormy passages.

    Usage

    Usually capitalized as 'the Revolutionary' or 'the Revolutionary Etude'.

But Alexander didn’t go far enough for the country’s most ardent revolutionaries, who responded to the so-called czar liberator ’s reforms by assassinating him in 1881.

Smithsonian Magazine· 16 Jul 2026

Suddenly, these animals could swallow macroscopic chunks of food and digest them in their very simple—but still revolutionary!—guts, outside their cells, which probably really scandalized the sponges.

Ars Technica· 12 Aug 2026
This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated