Radical

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹædɪkəl/

Definitions

1. Representing fundamental change or an extreme departure from traditional views and methods
2. Involving essential or extreme transformations that disrupt established norms and customs
3. Relating to or advocating for fundamental change that significantly diverges from conventional beliefs and practices

Etymology: The political sense of "radical" is a sharp turn from its botanical and mathematical roots. Latin "rādīcālis" meant "of or pertaining to the root," and for centuries English used the word in that plain sense, as well as in a few technical ones: a radical in chemistry is a group of atoms that behaves as a single unit, and in arithmetic a radical is the root sign under which a number sits. The political meaning, favoring thorough reform of institutions, grew from the image of getting down to the roots of a problem rather than trimming its branches. The word's Latin base, "rādix," meaning "root," is also the source of "radish" and "radicle," the first root of a seedling. The English adjective came to us through Middle English, and the political sense developed only later, when reformers in the early nineteenth century began calling for changes that went to the foundations of government and society.

Synonyms: extreme, fundamental, revolutionary, drastic, progressive

Antonyms: moderate, conservative, mild, incremental, gradual