RADICAL

radical, basal

(adjective) 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”

extremist, radical, ultra

(adjective) (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; “extremist political views”; “radical opinions on education”; “an ultra conservative”

revolutionary, radical

(adjective) markedly new or introducing radical change; “a revolutionary discovery”; “radical political views”

radical

(adjective) arising from or going to the root or source; “a radical flaw in the plan”

radical

(adjective) of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root; “a radical verb form”

root, root word, base, stem, theme, radical

(noun) (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; “thematic vowels are part of the stem”

radical

(noun) a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram

radical

(noun) a person who has radical ideas or opinions

radical

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

group, radical, chemical group

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

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

radical (comparative more radical, superlative most radical)

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

(botany, not comparable) Pertaining to a root (of a plant).

Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.

Synonym: fundamental

Antonyms: ignorable, trivial

Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.

(lexicography, not comparable) Of or pertaining to the root of a word.

(phonology, phonetics, not comparable, of a sound) Produced using the root of the tongue.

Coordinate terms: coronal, dorsal, labial, laryngeal

(chemistry, not comparable) Involving free radicals.

(math) Relating to a radix or mathematical root.

(slang, 1980s & 1990s) Excellent; awesome.

Synonyms

• (linguistics, in reference to words): primitive

Antonyms

• (linguistics, in reference to words): derivative, derived

Noun

radical (plural radicals)

(historical: 19th-century Britain) A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).

(historical: early 20th-century France) A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.

A person with radical opinions.

(arithmetic) A root (of a number or quantity).

(linguistics) In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic.

(linguistics) In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.

(chemistry) A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.

(organic chemistry) A free radical.

(algebra, commutative algebra, ring theory, of an ideal) Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or $$\sqrt{I}$$ , such that an element x ∈ R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, xⁿ ∈ I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I.

(algebra, ring theory, of a ring) Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good".

(algebra, ring theory, of a module) The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module.

(number theory) The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer.

Anagrams

• aldaric, cardial

Source: Wiktionary

Rad"i*cal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. radicalis having roots, fr. radix, - icis, a root. See Radix.]

1. Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.

2. Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation to the ultimate sources to the principles, or the like: original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party. The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence. Burke.

3. (Bot.) (a) Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs. (b) Proceeding from a rootlike stem, or one which does not rise above the ground; as, the radical leaves of the dandelion and the sidesaddle flower.

4. (Philol.)

Definition: Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.

5. (Math.)

Definition: Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below. Radical axis of two circles. (Geom.) See under Axis.

– Radical pitch, the pitch or tone with which the utterance of a syllable begins. Rush.

– Radical quantity (Alg.), a quantity to which the radical sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign; a surd.

– Radical sign (Math.), the sign sq. root (originally the letter r, the initial of radix, root), placed before any quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus, sq. roota, or sq. root(a + b). To indicate any other than the square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the sign; thus cube roota, indicates the third or cube root of a.

– Radical stress (Elocution), force of utterance falling on the initial part of a syllable or sound.

– Radical vessels (Anat.), minute vessels which originate in the substance of the tissues.

Syn.

– Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental; entire.

– Radical, Entire. These words are frequently employed as interchangeable in describing some marked alternation in the condition of things. There is, however, an obvious difference between them. A radical cure, reform, etc., is one which goes to the root of the thing in question; and it is entire, in the sense that, by affecting the root, it affects in a appropriate degree the entire body nourished by the root; but it may not be entire in the sense of making a change complete in its nature, as well as in its extent. Hence, we speak of a radical change; a radical improvement; radical differences of opinion; while an entire change, an entire improvement, an entire difference of opinion, might indicate more than was actually intended. A certain change may be both radical and entire, in every sense.

Rad"i*cal, n.

1. (Philol.) (a) A primitive word; a radix, root, or simple, underived, uncompounded word; an etymon. (b) A primitive letter; a letter that belongs to the radix. The words we at present make use of, and understand only by common agreement, assume a new air and life in the understanding, when you trace them to their radicals, where you find every word strongly stamped with nature; full of energy, meaning, character, painting, and poetry. Cleland.

2. (Politics)

Definition: One who advocates radical changes in government or social institutions, especially such changes as are intended to level class inequalities; -- opposed to conservative. In politics they [the Independents] were, to use phrase of their own time. "Root-and-Branch men," or, to use the kindred phrase of our own, Radicals. Macaulay.

3. (Chem.) (a) A characteristic, essential, and fundamental constituent of any compound; hence, sometimes, an atom. As a general rule, the metallic atoms are basic radicals, while the nonmetallic atoms are acid radicals. J. P. Cooke. (b) Specifically, a group of two or more atoms, not completely saturated, which are so linked that their union implies certain properties, and are conveniently regarded as playing the part of a single atom; a residue; -- called also a compound radical. Cf. Residue.

4. (Alg.)

Definition: A radical quantity. See under Radical, a. An indicated root of a perfect power of the degree indicated is not a radical but a rational quantity under a radical form. Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. )

5. (Anat.)

Definition: A radical vessel. See under Radical, a.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

RADICAL

Etymology

Adjective

Synonyms

Antonyms

Noun

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