radical (ˈrædɪkəll
)
Definitions
adjective
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the basic or inherent constitution of a person or thing; fundamental ⇒
a radical fault
- concerned with or tending to concentrate on fundamental aspects of a matter; searching or thoroughgoing ⇒
radical thought
a radical re-examination
- favouring or tending to produce extreme or fundamental changes in political, economic, or social conditions, institutions, habits of mind, etc ⇒
a radical party
- medicine (of treatment) aimed at removing the source of a disease ⇒
radical surgery
- slang mainly US very good; excellent
- of, relating to, or arising from the root or the base of the stem of a plant ⇒
radical leaves
- mathematics of, relating to, or containing roots of numbers or quantities
- linguistics of or relating to the root of a word
noun
- a person who favours extreme or fundamental change in existing institutions or in political, social, or economic conditions
- mathematics a root of a number or quantity, such as ³√5, √a root of a number or quantity, such as ³√5, √x
radicle chemistry- short for free radical
- another name for group (sense 10)
- linguistics another word for root1 (sense 9)
- (in logographic writing systems such as that used for Chinese) a part of a character conveying lexical meaning
Alternative Forms
ˈradicalness nounWord Origin
C14: from Late Latin rādīcālis having roots, from Latin rādix a rootSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
extreme,
complete,
entire,
sweeping,
violent,
severe,
extensive,
wide-ranging,
excessive,
thorough,
drastic,
rigorous,
far-reaching,
draconian,
=
revolutionary,
reforming,
extreme,
militant,
progressive,
left-wing,
extremist,
reformist,
fanatical,
Quotations
"A radical is a man with both feet firmly planted in the air"
Usage examples
You'd never get any truly radical ideas through their thick skulls!
, Political Suicide (1986)But part of me expected him to do something radical , and he did.
Maxim (2004)We have set out a radical platform for transforming Irish society.
Irish Times (2002)The Irvine brothers ' radical approach to running the old-established firm does not stop at advertising.
Glasgow Herald (2001)But since then, with new therapies becoming available, the pendulum has swung towards less radical surgery.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)