Revolutionise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause a fundamental alteration in established methods or systems, thereby significantly enhancing effectiveness or perspective
2. To completely change traditional practices or structures in a way that transforms their operation or understanding
3. To introduce sweeping modifications that alter the conventional way of doing things or thinking

Etymology: The verb "revolutionise" is simply "revolution" with a verb-forming ending attached, and the ending has a longer journey than the word it sits on. The "-ise" suffix traces back to Ancient Greek "-izein", a verb ending that Greek writers used to turn nouns and adjectives into actions, and it passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser" before arriving in Middle English as "-isen". Over the centuries it became one of English's most productive tools for building verbs, so that words like "modernise" or "organise" follow the same pattern. The base word "revolution" itself began with a literal meaning of turning around or returning to a starting point, as in the regular cycle of the heavens. "Revolutionise" therefore carries a sense of change that comes full circle, though in practice it means a complete overturning of established ways. The word combines a physical image of turning with an abstract sense of transformation.

Synonyms: transform, overhaul, modernize, change, revamp

Antonyms: maintain, preserve, stagnate, regress, decline