radical
/ˈɹædɪkəl/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.33 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of or pertaining to the root of a plant.
adj
Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
adj
Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
adj
Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
adj
Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
adj
adj
Example Sentences
- "a radical quantity; a radical sign"
- "The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence."
- "His beliefs are radical."
- "The spread of the cancer required radical surgery, and the entire organ was removed."
- "Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force."
- "That was a radical jump!"
Etymology
PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: radical, rādīcālis