RADICAL

Thursday, September 04, 2025 11:27AM

radical#English

Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”).

Adjective

radical (comparative more radical, superlative most radical)

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

His beliefs are radical.

We must be resolute in our fight against radical leftism!

2. (botany, not comparable) Pertaining to a root (of a plant).
3. Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something. Synonym: fundamentalAntonyms: ignorable, trivial
4. Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.

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

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. Coordinate terms: coronal, dorsal, labial, laryngeal
7. (chemistry, not comparable) Involving free radicals.
8. (mathematics) Relating to a radix or mathematical root.

a radical quantity; a radical sign