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
That’s what Rebecca Loviconi‘s ‘genre fusion’ feature doc Crime or Rescue will reveal, as the ‘romantic true crime’ story that’s set to hit the doc market follows radical animal activists who unexpectedly fall in love during the filming. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 July 2026 Alfaturk16’s leak locks in a July 22 release date for the new Galaxy Watches, potentially giving Samsung just a few weeks to unveil what could prove to be a radical addition to the company’s wearable portfolio. — Paul Monckton, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Noun
American Muslims for Palestine has repeatedly come under fire over leading members’ past ties to foreign terrorists, though the group denies supporting such radicals. — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026 Throughout our history, both the Declaration and the Constitution have inspired reformers and radicals to pursue egalitarian change. — Michael Kazin, The Atlantic, 3 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
  • The National Weather Service said cool air from the north will push the heat dome, responsible for a heat wave that started midweek, south and west in the coming days, relieving some of the most extreme temperatures in the Northeast.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 July 2026
  • The laminate reinforces the glass to create a shatter-resistant barrier, preventing shards of glass from flying out during extreme weather.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • Some prominent liberal legal scholars even attempted to defend substantive-due-process rights using originalist and textualist methods.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • In a stark move, liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor directly criticized Thomas' claim in a joint opinion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of liberal
Adjective
  • The animals, the cool weather and the wonderful people of this region made for a memorable trip.
    — Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Bat boxes are a wonderful addition to your yard for attracting bats and giving them a safe place to live.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 2 July 2026
Definition of wonderful
Noun
  • Good luck with that message in flyover country when the revolutionaries don’t enjoy the advantages of light-turnout primaries.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Many became meeting places for the Founding Fathers and other revolutionaries as tensions with Britain grew.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Adjective
  • The other rabid animals were five bats and one each cat, coyote, skunk and woodchuck.
    — Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026
  • This was a rabid, partisan home-soil advantage that flat-out bullied the squad into surviving.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of rabid
Adjective
  • According to the report, the boy first developed progressive facial numbness and tingling on the right side of his face, followed by loss of appetite, painful swallowing and vomiting.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • But its original progressive elements have not only lasted, but become the law of the entire land — from sea to shining sea.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of progressive
Adjective
  • William's sixth-great-grandfather was born in Coventry in 1740 and enlisted as a private in the Connecticut militia.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Leave some messiness in your garden and leave the leaves, as decaying leaves are great habitat for fireflies.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • Your unconventional ideas land better when people can experience them instead of only hearing about them.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
  • While seemingly an unconventional choice, Sandler, Swift and Kelce have been in each other's orbit for several years.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 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 7 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All