See Also: Radical(medicine)
radical(encyclopedia)
radical(dictionary)
radical 2, noun(dictionary)
radical, free(medicine)
radical cystectomy(medicine)
radical hysterectomy(medicine)
Radical Republican(encyclopedia)
radical mastoidectomy(medicine)
Radical prostatectomy(health)

radical (iou)



radical adjective & noun. LME.
[Late Latin radicalis, from Latin radic-, RADIX root: see -AL1.]
A. adjective.
Forming the root, basis, or foundation; original, primary. LME.
S. Johnson The radical idea branches out.
a. Of a quality etc.: inherent in the nature of a thing or person; fundamental. LME.
radical humour = MOISTURE 2b.
R. H. Hutton The radical rottenness of human nature. Times Literary Supplement None of our individualities is radical.
b. Of action, change, an idea, etc.: going to the root or origin; pertaining to or affecting what is fundamental; far-reaching, thorough. M17.
Times Radical measures and socialist programmes. B. Tarkington Conservative people seldom form radical new habits.
c. Politics. Advocating thorough or far-reaching change; representing or supporting an extreme section of a party; spec. (a) Hist. belonging to an extreme wing of the Liberal Party; (b) US History seeking extreme action against the South at the time of the Civil War. Now also, left-wing, revolutionary. E19.
radical chic (the people given to) the fashionable affectation of radical left-wing views or an associated style of dress, life, etc. radical right (the proponents of) extreme conservative or fascist views favouring group action to protect or reinstate certain social traditions.
W. Lippmann Though some..were opposed to drastic change..others were in favor of radical reform. Japan Times Radical students pelted police with rocks.
d. Characterized by departure from tradition; progressive; unorthodox. E20.
Math. Pertaining to or forming the root of a number or quantity. M16.
radical sign the sign used to indicate a root (without qualifying superscript numeral, the square root) of the number to which it is prefixed.
Philology. Of or belonging to the roots of words; connected with or based on roots. L16.
radical word: having the form of or directly based on a root.
Astrology. Belonging to or forming the basis of an astrological calculation. Only in 17.
Music. Belonging to the root of a chord. M18.
Botany. Of or belonging to the root of a plant; esp. (of a leaf) springing directly from the rootstock or from the base of the stem (opp. cauline). M18.
b. noun.
Philology.
a. A root; a radical word or letter. M17.
b. Any of the basic Chinese characters constituting usu. semantically significant elements in the composition of other characters and used as a means of classifying characters in dictionaries. Cf. PHONETIC noun 1. E19.
A basis, a fundamental thing or principle. M17.
Math.
a. A quantity forming or expressed as a root of another quantity. M18.
b. The radical sign. L18.
Chemistry. Orig., an element, atom, or group of atoms which can form the basis of a compound and remain unaltered during ordinary chemical reactions. Now (a) = GROUP noun 2b; (b) = free radical s.v. FREE adjective, adverb, & noun E19.
A politically radical person. E19.
philosophical radical: see PHILOSOPHICAL adjective.
radicalism noun (a) politically radical attitudes, principles, or practice; (b) thoroughness of method: E19.
radi'cality noun the state, condition, or fact of being radical, radicalism M17.
,radicali'zation noun the process of radicalizing L19.
radicalize verb trans. & intrans. make or become politically radical E19.
radically adverb LME.
radicalness noun M17.