radical
UK[ˈrædɪkl̩]US[ˈrædɪkl̩]
adj
Relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
adj
Advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social change; representing or supporting an extreme or progressive section of a political party.
n
A person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform; a member of a political party or part of a party pursuing such aims.
n
A group of atoms behaving as a unit in a number of compounds.
Morpheme Breakdown
radic
al
radic
root
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word "radical" originates from the Late Latin term radicalis, meaning "of or having roots," which itself derives from the classical Latin radix (root). This foundational concept of a root was extended metaphorically in medieval logic and philosophy to denote the fundamental source or origin of something. By the late 18th century, this sense of pertaining to the root or foundation was applied to politics, giving rise to the meaning of advocating fundamental or revolutionary change from the roots of society upward. Thus, the journey from a literal botanical root to an abstract concept of thoroughgoing reform illustrates a classic path of semantic evolution from the concrete to the ideological.
Analysis
Structure: radic (root) + al (adjective suffix)
- radic: From Latin radix, radic- meaning "root".
- al: A suffix forming adjectives, from Latin -alis, indicating "of, relating to, or characterized by".
Examples
The company needs radical restructuring to survive.
His political views became increasingly radical during his time at university.
The hydroxyl radical is highly reactive and can damage cells.