Standard Lemma guide

revolutionary

adj · name · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɹɛvəˈluːʃənɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈljuː-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH2 V AH0 L UW1 SH AH0 N EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to a revolution in government; tending to, or promoting, revolution

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • revolutionary war
  • revolutionary measures
  • revolutionary agitators

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or pertaining to something that portends of great change; overthrowing a standing mindset

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a revolutionary new tool

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or pertaining to something that revolves.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

name

Meaning 4

Chopin's 'Revolutionary Etude' Op. 10 no. 12.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A revolutionist; a person who revolts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

advocating or engaged in revolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • revolutionary pamphlets
  • a revolutionary junta

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: counterrevolutionary

7

adjective

Meaning 7

relating to or having the nature of a revolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • revolutionary wars
  • the Revolutionary era

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

of or relating to or characteristic or causing an axial or orbital turn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rotatory

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

markedly new or introducing radical change

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a revolutionary discovery
  • radical political views

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: radical

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a radical supporter of political or social revolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revolutionist, subversive, subverter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: radical

Narrower terms: counterrevolutionist, counter-revolutionist, counterrevolutionary, dynamiter, dynamitist, Girondist, Girondin, insurgent, insurrectionist, freedom fighter, rebel, Corday, Charlotte Corday, Marie Anne Charlotte Corday d'Armont, Danton, Georges Jacques Danton, Guevara, Ernesto Guevara, Che Guevara, Mao, Mao Zedong, Mao Tsetung, Marat, Jean Paul Marat, Marti, Jose Julian Marti, Marx, Karl Marx, Mirabeau, Comte de Mirabeau, Honore-Gabriel Victor Riqueti, Robespierre, Maxmillien Marie Isidore de Robespierre, Trotsky, Leon Trotsky, Lev Davidovich Bronstein, Villa, Pancho Villa, Francisco Villa, Doroteo Arango, Zapata, Emiliano Zapata, Zhou En-lai, Chou En-lai

History

Etymology

Compare French révolutionnaire; equivalent to revolution + -ary.

Across languages

Translations

199 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: revolucionar — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Arabic: ثَوْرِيّ (ṯawriyy) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Armenian: հեղափոխական (heġapʻoxakan) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Azerbaijani: inqilabi — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Belarusian: рэвалюцы́йны (revaljucýjny) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Bengali: ইনকিলাবি (inkilabi) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Bengali: বিপ্লবী (biplôbi) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Bulgarian: революцио́нен (revoljuciónen) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Catalan: revolucionari — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 革命性的 (gémìngxìng de) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Chinese Mandarin: 革命的 (gémìng de) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Czech: revoluční — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Danish: revolutionær — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Dutch: baanbrekend — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Estonian: revolutsiooniline — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Finnish: vallankumouksellinen — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • French: révolutionnaire — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Georgian: რევოლუციური (revoluciuri) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • German: revolutionär — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Greek: επαναστατικός (epanastatikós) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Hebrew: מַהְפֵּכָנִי (mahapkháni) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Hindi: क्रांतिकारी (krāntikārī) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Hindi: इंक़िलाबी (iṅqilābī) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Hindi: इंक़लाबी (iṅqlābī) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Hungarian: forradalmi — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Irish: réabhlóideach — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Italian: rivoluzionario — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Japanese: 革命的な (kakumeiteki na) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Kashmiri: اِنقلٲبؠ (inqlạ̄b') — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Kashmiri: इंक़लऻब्य (inqlạ̄b') — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Kazakh: революциялық (revolüsiälyq) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Korean: 혁명의 (hyeongmyeong'ui) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Korean: 혁명적 (hyeongmyeongjeok) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Kyrgyz: революциялык (revolyutsiyalık) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Latvian: revolucionārs — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Lithuanian: revoliucinis — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Lithuanian: revoliucingas — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Macedonian: револуционе́рен (revolucionéren) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Norwegian Bokmål: revolusjonær — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: revolusjonær — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Pashto: انقلابي (enqelābí) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Persian: انقلابی (enqelâbi) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Polish: rewolucyjny — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Portuguese: revolucionário — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Romanian: revoluționar — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Russian: революцио́нный (revoljuciónnyj) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Scottish Gaelic: rèabhlaideach — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Serbo-Croatian: ре̏волуциона̄ран — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Serbo-Croatian: rȅvolucionāran — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Slovak: revolučný — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Slovene: revolucionaren — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Spanish: revolucionario — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Swahili: kimapinduzi — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Swedish: revolutionär — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Tajik: револютсионӣ (revolyutsioni) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Tajik: инқилобӣ (inqilobi) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Ukrainian: революці́йний (revoljucíjnyj) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Urdu: انقلابی (inqalābī) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Uyghur: ئېنقىلابىي (ënqilabiy) — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Uzbek: inqilobiy — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Volapük: levolutik — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Welsh: chwyldroadol — of or pertaining to a revolution in government
  • Czech: revolucionářský — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Finnish: vallankumouksellinen — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Greek: επαναστατικός (epanastatikós) — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Irish: réabhlóideach — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Māori: whakawhana — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Portuguese: revolucionário — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Volapük: levolutanik — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Volapük: hilevolutanik — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Volapük: jilevolutanik — of or pertaining to a revolutionary, revolutionist
  • Chinese Mandarin: 革命性的 (gémìngxìng de) — something that signifies great change
  • Czech: revoluční — something that signifies great change
  • Czech: převratný — something that signifies great change
  • Danish: revolutionær — something that signifies great change
  • Danish: banebrydende — something that signifies great change
  • Danish: epokegørende — something that signifies great change
  • Faroese: kollveltingarsamur — something that signifies great change
  • Faroese: slóðbrótandi — something that signifies great change
  • Finnish: mullistava — something that signifies great change
  • Finnish: uraauurtava — something that signifies great change
  • Finnish: vallankumouksellinen — something that signifies great change
  • Greek: επαναστατικός (epanastatikós) — something that signifies great change
  • Icelandic: byltingarkenndur — something that signifies great change
  • Irish: réabhlóideach — something that signifies great change
  • Norwegian Bokmål: revolusjonær — something that signifies great change
  • Norwegian Bokmål: revolusjonerende — something that signifies great change
  • Norwegian Bokmål: banebrytende — something that signifies great change
  • Norwegian Bokmål: banebrytande — something that signifies great change
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: revolusjonær — something that signifies great change
  • Polish: rewolucyjny — something that signifies great change
  • Portuguese: revolucionário — something that signifies great change
  • Swedish: revolutionär — something that signifies great change
  • Swedish: banbrytande — something that signifies great change
  • Swedish: revolutionerande — something that signifies great change
  • Swedish: epokgörande — something that signifies great change
  • Albanian: revolucionar — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Arabic: ثَوْرِيّ (ṯawriyy) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Arabic: ثَوْرِيَّة (ṯawriyya) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Armenian: հեղափոխական (heġapʻoxakan) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Azerbaijani: inqilabçı — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Belarusian: рэвалюцыяне́р (revaljucyjanjér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Belarusian: рэвалюцыяне́рка (revaljucyjanjérka) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Bulgarian: революционе́р (revoljucionér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Bulgarian: революционе́рка (revoljucionérka) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Burmese: တော်လှန်ရေးသမား (tauhlanre:sa.ma:) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Catalan: revolucionari — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Catalan: revolucionària — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Chinese Cantonese: 革命家 (gaak3 ming6 gaa1) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 革命家 (gémìngjiā) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Chinese Mandarin: 革命者 (gémìngzhě) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Crimean Tatar: inqilapçı — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Czech: revolucionář — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Czech: revolucionářka — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Danish: revolutionær — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Dutch: revolutionair — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Estonian: revolutsionäär — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Finnish: vallankumouksellinen — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • French: révolutionnaire — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Georgian: რევოლუციონერი (revolucioneri) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • German: Revolutionär — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • German: Revolutionärin — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Greek: επαναστάτης (epanastátis) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Greek: επαναστάτρια (epanastátria) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hebrew: רֶבוֹלוּצְיוֹנֶר (revolutsionér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hebrew: מַהְפְּכָן (mahapkhán) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hindi: क्रांतिकारी (krāntikārī) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hindi: इंक़लाबी (iṅqlābī) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hindi: क्रांतिकारक (krāntikārak) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hindi: परिवर्तनवादी (parivartanvādī) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Hungarian: forradalmár — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Irish: réabhlóidí — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Italian: rivoluzionario — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Italian: rivoluzionaria — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Japanese: 革命家 (kakumeika) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Kazakh: төңкеріскер (töñkerısker) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Kazakh: революцияшыл (revolüsiäşyl) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Kazakh: революционер (revolüsioner) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Khmer: អ្នកបដិវត្ត (nĕək paʼdevŏət) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Korean: 혁명가 (hyeongmyeongga) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Central Kurdish: شۆڕشگێڕ (şorrişgêrr) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Northern Kurdish: şoreşger — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Northern Kurdish: înqilapger — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Kyrgyz: революционер (revolyutsioner) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Lao: ນັກປະຕິວັດ (nak pa ti wat) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Latvian: revolucionārs — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Latvian: revolucionāre — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Lithuanian: revoliucionierius — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Lithuanian: revoliucionierė — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Macedonian: револуционе́р (revolucionér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Macedonian: револуционе́рка (revolucionérka) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Malay: revolusioner — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Malayalam: വിപ്ലവകാരി (viplavakāri) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Māori: kaiwhana — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Māori: kaiwhakatuma — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Māori: hauhau — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Mongolian: хувьсгалч (xuvʹsgalč) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Mongolian: хувьсгалт (xuvʹsgalt) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Norwegian Bokmål: revolusjonær — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: revolusjonær — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Persian: انقلابی (enqelâbi) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Polish: rewolucjonista — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Polish: rewolucjonistka — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Portuguese: revolucionário — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Portuguese: revolucionária — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Romanian: revoluționar — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Romanian: revoluționară — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Russian: революционе́р (revoljucionér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Russian: революционе́рка (revoljucionérka) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Scottish Gaelic: rèabhlaideach — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Serbo-Croatian: револуцио̀на̄р — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Serbo-Croatian: револуцио̀на̄рка — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Serbo-Croatian: revoluciònār — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Serbo-Croatian: revoluciònārka — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Slovak: revolucionár — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Slovak: revolucionárka — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Slovene: revolucionar — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Slovene: revolucionarka — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Spanish: revolucionario — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Spanish: revolucionaria — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Swahili: mpinduzi — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Swedish: revolutionär — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Tagalog: rebolusyonaryo — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Tajik: инқилобчӣ (inqilobči) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Tatar: революционер (rewolyütsiyoner) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Thai: นักปฏิวัติ (nák-bpà-dtì-wát) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Turkish: devrimci — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Turkish: inkilapçı — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Turkmen: ynkylapçy — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Ukrainian: революціоне́р (revoljucionér) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Ukrainian: революціоне́рка (revoljucionérka) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Uyghur: ئىنقىلابچى (inqilabchi) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Uzbek: revolyutsioner — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Uzbek: inqilobchi — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Vietnamese: nhà cách mạng — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Volapük: levolutan — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Volapük: hilevolutan — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Volapük: jilevolutan — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
  • Yiddish: רעוואָלוציאָנער (revolutsyoner) — a revolutionist; a person who revolts
Real reading context

revolutionary in complete knowledge articles