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
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
Denni Hu, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.
—Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025
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
Noun
The collection drew inspiration from two seemingly distant sources: a still-life painting of a shirt collar by Joe Brainard, the prolific 1960s New York writer and artist, and a short story by Yu Dafu, the early 20th-century Chinese author and revolutionist.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionist
Adjective
-
The radical republic that replaced it bore little resemblance to the partner of 1778, having descended into chaos, executions, and ideological extremism that threatened neighboring states.—
-
Such a gambit could well spell the end of NATO, as Denmark’s leader has warned, or at least its radical transformation, and test European unity, with huge implications for the continent’s security.—
Noun
-
Her lead performance as Willa, the daughter of underground revolutionaries, has earned Infiniti nominations among multiple voting bodies including her first recognition at the Golden Globes.—
-
The daughter of a Marxist revolutionary, Rodríguez relentlessly defended the Maduro regime against accusations of drug-trafficking and election-stealing.—
Noun
-
The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
-
Meanwhile, over in Britain, a vibrant antiwar movement brought on motion after motion in Parliament to cease fire and end all offensive operations against the rebels.—
Adjective
-
An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible.—
-
Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Noun
-
While many are now driven primarily by economic interests, a subset retains insurgent, ant-imperialist commitments.—
-
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.—
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionist. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share