verb · 4 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɹɛv.əˈl(j)uː.ʃəˌnaɪz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌɹɛv.əˈl(j)u.ʃəˌnaɪz/
Australian:/ˌɹev.əˈl(j)uː.ʃəˌnɑɪz/
CMU ARPABET:R EH2 V AH0 L UW1 SH AH0 N AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To radically or significantly change, as in a revolution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
change radically
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
E-mail revolutionized communication in academe
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: revolutionise, overturn
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
3
verb
Meaning 3
fill with revolutionary ideas
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: revolutionise, inspire
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: indoctrinate
4
verb
Meaning 4
overthrow by a revolution, of governments
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: overthrow, subvert, overturn, bring down
History
Etymology
From revolution + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հեղափոխել
(heġapʻoxel)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Asturian:
revolucionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Belarusian:
рэвалюцыянізава́ць
(revaljucyjanizavácʹ)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Bulgarian:
революционизирам
(revoljucioniziram)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Catalan:
revolucionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Chinese Mandarin:
變革 /变革
(biàngé)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Danish:
revolutionere
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Dutch:
revolutioneren
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Finnish:
mullistaa
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
French:
révolutionner
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Galician:
revolucionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
German:
revolutionieren
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Hungarian:
forradalmasít
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Italian:
rivoluzionare
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Japanese:
革命を起こす
(kakumei wo okosu)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Kazakh:
революцияландыру
(revolüsiälandyru)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Kazakh:
түбірімен өзгерту
(tübırımen özgertu)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Korean:
혁명을 일으키다
(hyeongmyeong'eul ireukida)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Ladino:
revolusionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Latvian:
revolucionizēt
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Polish:
rewolucjonizować
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Polish:
zrewolucjonizować
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Portuguese:
revolucionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Romanian:
revoluționa
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Russian:
революционизировать
(revoljucionizirovatʹ)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Spanish:
revolucionar
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Swedish:
revolutionera
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
Ukrainian:
революціонізува́ти
(revoljucionizuváty)
— to radically or significantly change, as in a revolution
