Words / C1

RAD-ikl/ˈrædɪkl/

Radical means going to the root, hence very new, thorough, or extreme compared with what is usual. Native writers use radical reform (deep change) and a radical proposal. Extreme stresses distance from the centre and often sounds more negative; fundamental can mean basic rather than shocking. A radical (noun) is a person with radical views.

Meaning

Very new and different from what is usual, or extreme.

Examples

• “They proposed a radical change in the course.”
• “They called for a radical rewrite, not another patch.”
• “In that decade, votes for women still counted as a radical idea.”

Good to know

radical = thorough / far from usual. extreme = often more negative. noun: a radical.

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