radical 1 of 2

adjective

ˈra-di-kəl How to pronounce radical (audio)
Definition of radicalnext
1
as in extreme
being very far from the center of public opinion the baggy trousers that Amelia Bloomer introduced in the 1850s were considered a radical form of dress for women at the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in liberal
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs radical proponents of spelling reform would have every word spelled "just the way it sounds"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wonderful
slang of the very best kind surfing conditions at virtually all of the beaches along the coast were truly radical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

radical

2 of 2

noun

as in revolutionary
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government radicals staged large, violent protests in the hopes of toppling the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of radical
Adjective
Two of his landmark papers, published in 2025 and 2026 in Science, point to a radical redistribution of the cells that make up the body as mammals age, and describe some of the epigenomic instructions that guide this process. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 Now, the Taliban have built their radical vision for Afghan society on a policy of gender apartheid. — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
Where are the voices of all the mainstream Democrats in response to the takeover by the radicals in the Democratic Party today? — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026 The one in which his tiny team of negotiators surrendered to the radicals ruling that luckless nation. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for radical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radical
  1. extreme
  2. liberal
  3. wonderful
  4. revolutionary
  5. rabid
  6. progressive
  7. great
  8. unconventional
Adjective
  • Madrid asked everyone involved to move with extreme discretion.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This problem is anticipated to worsen as more AI providers adopt watermarking, creating a fertile environment for scams and deception, thus users are urged to exercise extreme caution.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • Tottenham Hotspur starting the transfer window as the Premier League’s most liberal and audacious spenders feels like a long time ago.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Just this week, Russia’s supreme court blocked Yabloko, the only remaining liberal, anti-war party on the ballot for parliamentary elections, from running.
    — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberal
Adjective
  • Such a contrast to the wonderful Bootham Crescent, York’s home until 2020 and within stumbling distance of not only the famous Minster but all the city’s many other attractions.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Stepping into the shoes of Steve McQueen is no easy feat, but Brosnan does so with style as Thomas Crown, a billionaire art thief who falls for the insurance investigator chasing him, played by the wonderful Rene Russo.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Noun
  • To make matters worse, ten days later, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Meyers turns out to be a rich kid with a fancy apartment, someone who can afford to play the artistic revolutionary—which doesn’t negate, and may indeed validate, his love for art.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Adjective
  • My profound sympathy and hope for a full and speedy recovery go to the recent victims of rabid beaver bites in Maryland.
    — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Eat it with tortilla chips at your desk, rabid raccoon style; or heat up some TJ’s flour tortillas, slice a few scallions, dollop sour cream, really make a day of it.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of rabid
Adjective
  • His distribution was decent, too, completing eight progressive passes per game, placing him 11th among that same group.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of progressive
Adjective
  • Ryan Eckley did great holding — good job stepping in on our operation, which was awesome.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Scott made it to her feet and was allowed to continue, which wasn't the greatest decision by the referee.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • Despite the unconventional nature, both Ray J and Brown likely walked away with significant earnings from the Zeus Promotions event.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After using unconventional tactics, such as water-dropping helicopters, LAFD crews knocked down the fire and returned the property to Lineage for cleanup.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconventional

Browse Nearby Words

radiating
radical
radicalism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Radical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radical. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on radical

Nglish: Translation of radical for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about radical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All