Radical

/ˈɹædɪkəl/ · adjective

Meaning

Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter..

Definitions by Sense

1. Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
2. (botany, not comparable) Pertaining to a root (of a plant).
3. Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
4. Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.
5. (lexicography, not comparable) Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
6. (phonology, phonetics, not comparable, of a sound) Produced using the root of the tongue.
7. (chemistry, not comparable) Involving free radicals.
8. (mathematics) Relating to a radix or mathematical root.

Example Sentences

His beliefs are radical.

The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence.

The spread of the cancer required radical surgery, and the entire organ was removed.

Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force.

a radical quantity; a radical sign

That was a radical jump!

Synonyms for radical

Antonyms for radical

Related Words

Word Forms

• more radical
• most radical
• radicals

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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