Synonyms for radical
ˈræd ɪ kəlrad·i·cal

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. radical

   The widely divergent senses in which the word radical is used, by which it can be at some time interchanged with any word in the above list, are all formed upon the one primary sense of having to do with or proceeding from the root (Latin radix); a radical difference is one that springs from the root, and is thus constitutional, essential, fundamental, organic, original; a radical change is one that does not stop at the surface, but reaches down to the very root, and is entire, thorough, total; since the majority find superficial treatment of any matter the easiest and most comfortable, radical measures, which strike at the root of evil or need, are apt to be looked upon as extreme.

   Synonyms:
   complete, constitutional, entire, essential, extreme, fundamental, ingrained, innate, native, natural, organic, original, perfect, positive, primitive, thorough, thoroughgoing, total

   Antonyms:
   conservative, inadequate, incomplete, moderate, palliative, partial, slight, superficial, tentative, trial

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. radical

   Synonyms:
   original, fundamental, thoroughgoing, unsparing, extreme, entire, innate, natural, essential, immanent, ingrained, underived, deep-seated

   Antonyms:
   derived, ascititious, adventitious, superficial, extraneous, partial, moderate, conservative, acquired

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. group, radical, chemical groupnoun

   (chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule

   Synonyms:
   root, theme, root word, free radical, grouping, mathematical group, base, chemical group, group, stem

   Antonyms:
   moderate, cauline, old, incidental, incident

2. free radical, radicalnoun

   an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule that has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule

   "in the body free radicals are high-energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells"

   Synonyms:
   root, theme, root word, free radical, base, chemical group, group, stem

   Antonyms:
   old, incidental, cauline, moderate, incident

3. radicalnoun

   a person who has radical ideas or opinions

   Synonyms:
   root, theme, root word, free radical, base, chemical group, group, stem

   Antonyms:
   incident, old, moderate, incidental, cauline

4. radicalnoun

   (mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity

   Synonyms:
   root, theme, root word, free radical, base, chemical group, group, stem

   Antonyms:
   incidental, incident, old, moderate, cauline

5. radicalnoun

   a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram

   Synonyms:
   root, theme, root word, free radical, base, chemical group, group, stem

   Antonyms:
   cauline, moderate, incidental, old, incident

6. root, root word, base, stem, theme, radicaladjective

   (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

   "thematic vowels are part of the stem"

   Synonyms:
   al-Qaeda, idea, groundwork, al-Qaida, ascendent, base, substructure, composition, paper, fundament, motif, prow, theme, ascendant, basis, group, understructure, shank, stalk, nucleotide, report, foundation, etymon, root, subject, floor, bow, fore, topic, free radical, melodic theme, source, ancestor, foot, antecedent, musical theme, infrastructure, alkali, cornerstone, origin, pedestal, home, rootage, tooth root, stem, base of operations, radix, root word, stand, stem turn, solution, beginning, chemical group, al-Qa'ida, bag

   Antonyms:
   old, moderate, cauline, incidental, incident

7. extremist, radical, ultraadjective

   (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm

   "extremist political views"; "radical opinions on education"; "an ultra conservative"

   Synonyms:
   revolutionary, ultra, basal, extremist

   Antonyms:
   old, incident, incidental, cauline, moderate

8. revolutionary, radicaladjective

   markedly new or introducing radical change

   "a revolutionary discovery"; "radical political views"

   Synonyms:
   revolutionary, ultra, rotatory, basal, extremist

   Antonyms:
   cauline, moderate, old, incidental, incident

9. radicaladjective

   arising from or going to the root or source

   "a radical flaw in the plan"

   Synonyms:
   revolutionary, ultra, basal, extremist

   Antonyms:
   incidental, cauline, old, moderate, incident

10. radicaladjective

    of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root

    "a radical verb form"

    Synonyms:
    revolutionary, ultra, basal, extremist

    Antonyms:
    old, cauline, incident, moderate, incidental

11. radical, basaladjective

    especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem

    "basal placentation"; "radical leaves"

    Synonyms:
    revolutionary, base, ultra, basal, extremist, primary

    Antonyms:
    moderate, incident, cauline, incidental, old

Matched Categories

1. • Atom
   • Botany
   • Character
   • Chemistry
   • Linguistics
   • Mathematics
   • Measure
   • Person
   • Unit

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. extreme or progressive section

   Submitted by anonymous on April 6, 2021  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. radicaladjective

   Synonyms:
   original, fundamental, organic, constitutional

2. radicaladjective

   Synonyms:
   primitive, underived, uncompounded, simple

3. radicaladjective

   Synonyms:
   thorough, entire, complete, perfect

4. radicalnoun

   Synonyms:
   come-outer, radical reformer

5. radicalnoun

   Synonyms:
   primitive letter

6. radicalnoun

   Synonyms:
   root, radix, etymon, primitive word

7. radicalnoun

   Synonyms:
   (Chem.) base

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. radicaladjective

   Synonyms:
   original, fundamental, extreme, thorough-going, primitive

   Antonyms:
   conservative, moderate, slight, trifling, derivative

2. radicalnoun

   Synonyms:
   root, etymon, radix

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "radical":

   radicals, drastic, extremist, sweeping, hardline, free-radical, dramatic, hard-line, root-and-branch, fundamental, extreme, profound, thorough, radicalism, extremists, root, far-reaching, hardliner, militant

How to pronounce radical?

How to say radical in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use radical in a sentence?

1. Mark Twain:

   The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out the conservative adopts them.

2. Veryan Khan:

   If you have spent any time watching Boko Haram, you would know that Shekau is truly insane and his version of Islam is even too radical for Islamic State, a mixture of part witch doctor/part voodoo/part radical Islam. He is usually screaming, surrounded by a posse, and at least one tank, this last video is a totally new Shekau, calm, cool collective.Someone is directing his image. My thought is he is a wild card that Islamic State cannot afford to ally with unless they rebrand him or get rid of him entirely.

3. James Carafano:

   We are still operating under the 2011 strategy and the problem with that is even if we drive ISIS out of Iraq, the [Obama] administration will just basically go back to sleep. They are not treating this for what it is – a global, Islamic insurgency, we have to go to the source … until radical Islam is defeated, it’s just going to be ‘whack a mole’ for a generation … until we stop that radical ideology that is fueling them, this is never going to end.

4. President Trump:

   I think shes a very confused, very nervous woman, i dont think she wanted to do this. I think she really knew what was going to happen, and her worst nightmare has happened. I dont think shes gonna be there too long, either. I think that the radical left -- and shes sorta radical left too, by the way -- but I think the radical left is gonna take over.

5. Alan Dershowitz:

   Students throughout the totalitarian world risk life and limb for freedom of expression, many American college students are demanding that big brother restrict their freedom of speech on campus. This demand for enhanced censorship is not emanating only from the usual corner – the know-nothing fundamentalist right – it is coming from the radical, and increasingly not-so-radical left as well.