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radical

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rad⋅i⋅cal

  [rad-i-kuhl]
Use radical in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.
2. thoroughgoing or extreme, esp. as regards change from accepted or traditional forms: a radical change in the policy of a company.
3. favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms: radical ideas; radical and anarchistic ideologues.
4. forming a basis or foundation.
5. existing inherently in a thing or person: radical defects of character.
6. Mathematics.
a. pertaining to or forming a root.
b. denoting or pertaining to the radical sign.
c. irrational (def. 5b).
7. Grammar. of or pertaining to a root.
8. Botany. of or arising from the root or the base of the stem.
–noun
9. a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist.
10. a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.
11. Mathematics.
a. a quantity expressed as a root of another quantity.
b. the set of elements of a ring, some power of which is contained in a given ideal.
c. radical sign.
12. Chemistry.
a. group (def. 3).
b. free radical.
13. Grammar. root (def. 11).
14. (in Chinese writing) one of 214 ideographic elements used in combination with phonetics to form thousands of different characters.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < LL rādīcālis having roots, equiv. to L rādīc- (s. of rādīx) root 1 + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
rad⋅i⋅cal⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. basic, essential; original, innate, ingrained. 2. complete, unqualified, thorough; drastic, excessive, immoderate, violent. Radical, extreme, fanatical denote that which goes beyond moderation or even to excess in opinion, belief, action, etc. Radical emphasizes the idea of going to the root of a matter, and this often seems immoderate in its thoroughness or completeness: radical ideas; radical changes or reforms. Extreme applies to excessively biased ideas, intemperate conduct, or repressive legislation: to use extreme measures. Fanatical is applied to a person who has extravagant views, esp. in matters of religion or morality, which render that person incapable of sound judgments; and excessive zeal which leads him or her to take violent action against those who have differing views: fanatical in persecuting others.

Antonyms:
1, 2. superficial.
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group

  [groop]
–noun
1. any collection or assemblage of persons or things; cluster; aggregation: a group of protesters; a remarkable group of paintings.
2. a number of persons or things ranged or considered together as being related in some way.
3. Also called radical. Chemistry. two or more atoms specifically arranged, as the hydroxyl group, –OH. Compare free radical.
4. Linguistics.
a. (in the classification of related languages within a family) a category of a lower order than a subbranch and of a higher order than a subgroup: the Low German group of West Germanic languages.
b. any grouping of languages, whether it is made on the basis of geography, genetic relationship, or something else.
5. Geology. a division of stratified rocks comprising two or more formations.
6. Military.
a. Army. a flexible administrative and tactical unit consisting of two or more battalions and a headquarters.
b. Air Force. an administrative and operational unit subordinate to a wing, usually composed of two or more squadrons.
7. Music. a section of an orchestra comprising the instruments of the same class.
8. Art. a number of figures or objects shown in an arrangement together.
9. Mathematics. an algebraic system that is closed under an associative operation, as multiplication or addition, and in which there is an identity element that, on operating on another element, leaves the second element unchanged, and in which each element has corresponding to it a unique element that, on operating on the first, results in the identity element.
10. Grammar (chiefly British). a phrase: nominal group; verbal group.
–verb (used with object)
11. to place or associate together in a group, as with others.
12. to arrange in or form into a group or groups.
–verb (used without object)
13. to form a group.
14. to be part of a group.
Origin:
1665–75; < F groupe < It gruppo ≪ Gmc

Related forms:
groupwise, adverb

Synonyms:
12. order, organize, classify, combine.

Usage note:
1, 2. See collective noun.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To radical
rad·i·cal   (rād'ĭ-kəl)   
adj.  

  1. Arising from or going to a root or source; basic: proposed a radical solution to the problem.

  2. Departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme: radical opinions on education.

  3. Favoring or effecting fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radical political views.

  4. Linguistics Of or being a root: a radical form.

  5. Botany Arising from the root or its crown: radical leaves.

  6. Slang Excellent; wonderful.

n.  

  1. One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radicals seeking to overthrow the social order.

  2. Mathematics The root of a quantity as indicated by the radical sign.

  3. Symbol R An atom or a group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron.

  4. Linguistics See root1.


[Middle English, of a root, from Late Latin rādīcālis, having roots, from Latin rādīx, rādīc-, root; see wrād- in Indo-European roots.]
rad'i·cal·ly adv., rad'i·cal·ness n.
root 1   (rōōt, rŏŏt)   
n.  

  1. The usually underground portion of a plant that lacks buds, leaves, or nodes and serves as support, draws minerals and water from the surrounding soil, and sometimes stores food.

  2. Any of various other underground plant parts, especially an underground stem such as a rhizome, corm, or tuber.

    1. The embedded part of an organ or structure such as a hair, tooth, or nerve, that serves as a base or support.

    2. A base or support: We snipped the wires at the roots.

    3. The condition of being settled and of belonging to a particular place or society. Often used in the plural: Our roots in this town go back a long way.

    4. roots The state of having or establishing an indigenous relationship with or a personal affinity for a particular culture, society, or environment: music with unmistakable African roots.

    5. The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.

    6. Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.

    7. A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.

    8. A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.

    9. A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.

    10. The note from which a chord is built.

    11. Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.

  4. An essential part or element; the basic core: I finally got to the root of the problem.

  5. A primary source; an origin. See Synonyms at origin.

  6. A progenitor or ancestor from which a person or family is descended.

    1. The condition of being settled and of belonging to a particular place or society. Often used in the plural: Our roots in this town go back a long way.

    2. roots The state of having or establishing an indigenous relationship with or a personal affinity for a particular culture, society, or environment: music with unmistakable African roots.

    3. The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.

    4. Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.

    5. A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.

    6. A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.

    7. A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.

    8. The note from which a chord is built.

    9. Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.

  8. Linguistics

    1. The element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a word is derived by adding affixes or inflectional endings or by phonetic change.

    2. Such an element reconstructed for a protolanguage. Also called radical.

    3. A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.

    4. A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.

    5. A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.

    6. The note from which a chord is built.

    7. Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.

  9. Mathematics

    1. A number that when multiplied by itself an indicated number of times forms a product equal to a specified number. For example, a fourth root of 4 is √2. Also called nth root.

    2. A number that reduces a polynomial equation in one variable to an identity when it is substituted for the variable.

    3. A number at which a polynomial has the value zero.

    4. The note from which a chord is built.

    5. Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.

  10. Music

    1. The note from which a chord is built.

    2. Such a note occurring as the lowest note of a triad or other chord.

v.   root·ed, root·ing, roots

v.   intr.

  1. To grow roots or a root.

  2. To become firmly established, settled, or entrenched.

  3. To come into existence; originate.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to put out roots and grow.

  2. To implant by or as if by the roots.

  3. To furnish a primary source or origin to.

  4. To remove by or as if by the roots. Often used with up or out: "declared that waste and fraud will be vigorously rooted out of Government" (New York Times).


[Middle English rot, from Old English rōt, from Old Norse; see wrād- in Indo-European roots.]
root'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

radical

In politics, someone who demands substantial or extreme changes in the existing system.


radical

In chemistry, an atom or group of atoms that has at least one electron free to participate in forming a chemical bond.

Note: In general, radicals are associated with chemical reactions that proceed rapidly.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
radical

  1. mod.
    great; excellent. (California.) : My boyfriend, he's, like, so radical!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

radical 
1398 (adj.), in a medieval philosophical sense, from L.L. radicalis "of or having roots," from L. radix (gen. radicis) "root" (see radish). Meaning "going to the origin, essential" is from 1651. Political sense of "reformist" (via notion of "change from the roots") is first recorded 1802 (n.), 1820 (adj.), of the extreme section of the British Liberal party (radical reform had been a current phrase since 1786); meaning "unconventional" is from 1921. U.S. youth slang use is from 1983, from 1970s surfer slang meaning "at the limits of control." Radical chic is attested from 1970.

group 
1695, originally an art criticism term, "assemblage of figures or objects in a painting or design," from Fr. groupe "cluster, group," from It. gruppo "group, knot," likely ult. from P.Gmc. *kruppaz "round mass, lump." Extended to "any assemblage" by 1736. The verb is from 1718. Meaning "pop music combo" is from 1958; hence groupie "girl who follows pop groups," first attested 1967.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: group
Pronunciation: 'grüp
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : a number of individuals assembled together or having someunifying relationship
2 a : an assemblage of related organisms —often used to avoid taxonomic connotations when the kind or degree of relationship is not clearly defined b (1) : an assemblage of atoms forming part of a molecule; especially : FUNCTIONAL GROUP(2) : an assemblage of elements forming one of the vertical columns of the periodic table

Main Entry: 1rad·i·cal
Pronunciation: 'rad-i-k&l
Function: adjective
1 : designed to remove the root of a disease or alldiseased tissue <radical surgery>
2 : involving complete removal of an organ <radical prostatectomy> <radical cystectomy> —compare CONSERVATIVE —rad·i·cal·ly /-i-k(&-)lE/ adverb

Main Entry: 2radical
Function: noun
: FREE RADICAL; also : a groupof atoms bonded together that is considered an entity in various kinds of reactions
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

group (gr&oomacr;p)
n.

  1. An assemblage of persons or objects gathered or located together; an aggregation.

  2. A class or collection of related objects or entities.

  3. Two or more atoms that behave or that are regarded as behaving as a single chemical unit.

v. grouped, group·ing, groups

  1. To place or arrange in a group.

  2. To belong to or form a group.

radical rad·i·cal (rād'ĭ-kəl)
n.
Abbr. R

  1. A group of elements or atoms usually passing intact from one compound to another but generally incapable of prolonged existence in a free state.

  2. A free radical.

adj.

  1. Of or being medical treatment by extreme, drastic, or innovative measures.

  2. Designed to act on or eliminate the root or cause of a pathological process.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
group   (grp)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Chemistry

    1. Two or more atoms that are bound together and act as a unit in a number of chemical compounds, such as a hydroxyl (OH) group.

    2. In the Periodic Table, a vertical column that contains elements having the same number of electrons in the outermost shell of their atoms. Elements in the same group have similar chemical properties. See Periodic Table.

  2. Mathematics A set with an operation whose domain is all ordered pairs of members of the set, such that the operation is binary (operates on two elements) and associative, the set contains the identity element of the operation, and each element of the set has an inverse element for the operation. The positive and negative integers and zero form a set that is a group under the operation of ordinary addition, since zero is the identity element of addition and the negative of each integer is its inverse. Groups are used extensively in quantum physics and chemistry to model phenomena involving symmetry and invariance.


radical   (rād'ĭ-kəl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A root, such as √2, especially as indicated by a radical sign (√).

  2. A group of atoms that behaves as a unit in chemical reactions and is often not stable except as part of a molecule. The hydroxyl, ethyl, and phenyl radicals are examples. Radicals are unchanged by chemical reactions.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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