radical

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   arising from or going to the root or source

   a radical flaw in the plan

2. 2
   adj

   of or relating to or constituting a linguistic root

   a radical verb form

3. 3
   adj

   Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.

   His beliefs are radical.

4. 4
   adj

   Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.

   The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence.

5. 5
   adj

   Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.

   The spread of the cancer required radical surgery, and the entire organ was removed.

6. 6
   adj

   Relating to a radix or mathematical root.

   a radical quantity; a radical sign

7. 7
   adj

   Excellent; awesome.

   That was a radical jump!

8. 8
   noun

   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.

   The boy recognised the Chinese characters, though the calligraphy looked a bit strange, as if drawn by someone who had seen them and copied them out radical by radical without knowing what they meant.

Etymology

PIE word *wréh₂ds Inherited from Middle English radical, from Latin rādīcālis (“of or pertaining to the root, having roots, radical”). Compare grassroots.