RADICAL

adjective

Synonyms

Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental; entire. Radical, Entire. These words are frequently employed as interchangeable in describing some marked alternation in the condition of things. There is, however, an obvious difference between them. A radical cure, reform, etc., is one which goes to the root of the thing in question; and it is entire, in the sense that, by affecting the root, it affects in a appropriate degree the entire body nourished by the root; but it may not be entire in the sense of making a change complete in its nature, as well as in its extent. Hence, we speak of a radical change; a radical improvement; radical differences of opinion; while an entire change, an entire improvement, an entire difference of opinion, might indicate more than was actually intended. A certain change may be both radical and entire, in every sense.

Definitions

1. Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.
2. Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation to the ultimate sources to the principles, or the like: original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party. The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence. Burke.
3. Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs.
4. Proceeding from a rootlike stem, or one which does not rise above the ground; as, the radical leaves of the dandelion and the sidesaddle flower.
5. Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.
6. Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below. Radical axis of two circles. (Geom.) See under Axis. -- Radical pitch, the pitch or tone with which the utterance of a syllable begins. Rush. -- Radical quantity (Alg.), a quantity to which the radical sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign; a surd. -- Radical sign (Math.), the sign sq. root (originally the letter r, the initial of radix, root), placed before any quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus, sq. roota, or sq. root(a + b). To indicate any other than the square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the sign; thus cube roota, indicates the third or cube root of a. -- Radical stress (Elocution), force of utterance falling on the initial part of a syllable or sound. -- Radical vessels (Anat.), minute vessels which originate in the substance of the tissues.

Other Definitions

This word also has another definition:

RADICAL (noun)

1. A primitive word; a radix, root, or simple, underived, uncompounded word; an etymon. 2. A primitive letter; a letter that belongs to the radix. Th...

Added: October 09, 2025 Updated: October 09, 2025

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