revolutionist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of revolutionistnext
as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion his revolutionist ideas won't get him elected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

revolutionist

2 of 2

noun

ˌre-və-ˈlü-sh(ə-)nist How to pronounce revolutionist (audio)
1
as in revolutionary
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government after a long series of weak leaders, the people were ready for a revolutionist who promised to bring sweeping change to the nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebel
a person who rises up against authority historically, revolutionists have generally been young men willing to risk everything, even their lives, in the pursuit of their cause

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 revolutionist
Noun
As the head of China’s Nationalist government, Chiang and his party were trying to establish control in a nation divided among revolutionists, nationalists, Indigenous warlords, and a developing communist army and government. — Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024 Many revolutionists see heavy tank casualties in Ukraine as the key indicator for the tank’s looming obsolescence in the face of newly lethal precision antitank weapons. — Stephen Biddle, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2023 Leading that revolt is young revolutionist Luigi (Vincenzo Crea), while much older Silvestro (Luca Lionello) hopes to change things from within, by running for a public office usually held by the gentry. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 June 2023 On the second episode of Broken Bread this season, Choi talks to farm-to-table revolutionist Alice Waters about the importance of slow food. — Andy Wang, Robb Report, 19 Jan. 2022 From the early days of Silicon Valley’s Internet-era revolution, as engineers, designers, and financiers began to recognize the potential of their inventions, sanctimony was a distinct feature of the revolutionists. — Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionist
  1. radical
  2. revolutionary
  3. rebel
  4. extreme
  5. insurgent
Adjective
  • For now, both exhibitors and producers are watching closely to see whether the violence will become a recurring problem in the run-up to the presidential election, with the far right and radical left parties leading in polls.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of radical
Noun
  • Danny Trejo has played a Mexican revolutionary, a Mexican cop, a Mexican cartel assassin and, of course, a Mexican ex-con who kills bad guys with a machete.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But, even then, American socialists walked a fine line—they were considered too radical for the mainstream and a mere bourgeois affectation by committed class revolutionaries.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • The war next door United Nations experts have documented Rwandan military support for M23 rebels, which have seized territory in eastern DRC.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But the rebels also have an array of relatively cheap drones, including weapons supplied by Iran, and locally made copies of Iranian attack drones.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Many of these materials are made from oil, which emits pollutants when burned, driving climate change and fueling extreme weather.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The flooding comes after extreme weather hit the Southwest throughout the week.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of extreme
Noun
  • Khalilzad on Friday wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of insurgent

Browse Nearby Words

revolutionary
revolutionist
revolutionists
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Revolutionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionist. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All