radical

Plural: radicals

Noun

• (chemistry) two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and forming part of a molecule
• an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron; in the body it is usually an oxygen molecule that has lost an electron and will stabilize itself by stealing an electron from a nearby molecule
  • "in the body free radicals are high-energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells"
• a person who has radical ideas or opinions
• (mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity
• a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
• (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
• A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).
• A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.
• A person with radical opinions.
• A root (of a number or quantity).
• In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character (if any) that provides an indication of its meaning, as opposed to phonetic.
• In Celtic languages, the basic, underlying form of an initial consonant which can be further mutated under the Celtic initial consonant mutations.
• In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.
• A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.
• A free radical.
• Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or √, such that an element x ∈ R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, xⁿ ∈ I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I.
• Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good".
• The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module.
• The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer.
• pl. -S a group of atoms that acts as a unit in chemical compounds

Adjective Satellite

• (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm
  • "radical opinions on education"
• markedly new or introducing radical change
  • "radical political views"
• arising from or going to the root or source
  • "a radical flaw in the plan"

Adjective

• of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root
  • "a radical verb form"
• especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem
  • "radical leaves"

Adj

• Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
• Pertaining to a root (of a plant).
• Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
• Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.
• Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
• Produced using the root of the tongue.
• Involving free radicals.
• Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
• Excellent; awesome.

Examples

• "a radical quantity; a radical sign"
• "His beliefs are radical."
• "That was a radical jump!"
• "The spread of the cancer required radical surgery, and the entire organ was removed."
• "We must be resolute in our fight against radical leftism!"

Synonyms

basal, base, chemical group, extremist, free radical, group, revolutionary, root, root word, stem, theme, ultra, Jacobin, Jacobinic, Jacobinical, fundamental, primitive

Antonyms

cauline, derivative, derived, ignorable, trivial

Related Words

nilradical, radix, root

Anagrams of radical