revolutionary

UK: 'revolutionary', 'Revolutionary': /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ/, /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənɛərɪ/

US: /ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri/

US: (rev′ə lo̅o̅′shə ner′ē)

Inflections of 'revolutionary' (n): npl: revolutionaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

rev•o•lu•tion•ar•y /ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri/   adj., n., pl. -ar•ies. 
adj. 

1. [before a noun] of or relating to a revolution:
   a revolutionary leader.
2. new or different;
   causing great change:
   a revolutionary discovery.

n. [countable]
3. a person participating in or calling for a revolution:
   The revolutionaries challenged the army to join them.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

rev•o•lu•tion•ar•y  (rev′ə lo̅o̅′shə ner′ē), adj., n., pl. -ar•ies. 
adj. 

1. Government of, pertaining to, characterized by, or of the nature of a revolution, or a sudden, complete, or marked change:
   a revolutionary junta.
2. Government radically new or innovative;
   outside or beyond established procedure, principles, etc.:
   a revolutionary discovery.
3. American History (cap.) of or pertaining to the American Revolution or to the period contemporaneous with it in U.S. history:
   Revolutionary heroes; Revolutionary weapons.
4. revolving.

n. 

5. Government a revolutionist.

• revolution + -ary 1765–75

rev′o•lu′tion•ar′i•ly, adv. 
rev′o•lu′tion•ar′i•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. unprecedented, novel, drastic, unorthodox.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

revolutionary / ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ/ noun ( -aries)

1. a person who advocates or engages in revolution

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of a revolution
2. advocating or engaged in revolution
3. radically new or different: a revolutionary method of making plastics

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Revolutionary / ˌrɛvəˈluːʃənərɪ/ adjective

1. of or relating to the conflict or period of the War of American Independence (1775–83)
2. of or relating to any of various other Revolutions, esp the Russian Revolution (1917) or the French Revolution (1789)