radical synonyms

radical

modif.

  1. Fundamental

    basic, original, primitive, underlying; see fundamental 1, organic.

  2. Advocating extreme change

    extremist, revolutionary, fanatical, militant, rabid, insurgent, iconoclastic, advanced, forward, insurrectionary, progressive, revisionist, abolitionist, leftist, communistic, left-wing, uncompromising, intransigent, recalcitrant, mutinous, rebellious, recusant, subversive, seditious, riotous, lawless, ultraconservative, racist, white supremacist, insubordinate, anarchistic, nihilistic, Bolshevistic, Communist, socialist, liberal, immoderate, heretical, freethinking, avant-garde, Jacobinic, ultraist, ultraistic, ultra, red*, pink*; see also fanatical, rebellious 2, revolutionary 1.

    Antonyms conservative*, reformist, gradualist.

  3. Thoroughgoing

    extreme, drastic, thorough, complete; see comprehensive, extreme 2. See syn. study at liberal.

radical

n.

extremist, militant, revolutionary, fanatic, insurgent, objector, revolutionist, insurrectionist, leftist, anarchist, socialist, communist, pacifist, syndicalist, nihilist, ultraist, ultra, subversive, rebel, revolter, mutineer, firebrand, Jacobin, sans-culotte, Bolshevik, Bolshevist, anarcho-syndicalist, renegade, crusader, individualist, fascist, Nazi, racist, white supremacist, misfit, iconoclast, member of the lunatic fringe, eccentric, freethinker, rightist, yippie, hippie, Black nationalist, demonstrator, peace marcher, rioter, fifth columnist, nonconformist, left-winger, right-winger, ultraconservative, John Bircher, pinko*, red*; see also agitator, rebel 1.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.