revolutionise

IPA/ɹˌɛvəlˈuːʃənˌaɪz/
IPA/ɹˌɛvəlˈuːʃənˌaɪz/

revolutionise — verb

1. to change something such as a system, industry, or way of doing things in a very

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to change something such as a system, industry, or way of doing things in a very important and dramatic way, making it work far better than before

Example

The invention of the smartphone revolutionised the way people communicate with each other.

revolutionise + the way [people do something]

Ramón's new farming method revolutionised food production across the region.

Common collocations
  • revolutionise the way...
  • revolutionise an industry
  • revolutionise communication
  • revolutionise education
  • revolutionise healthcare
Synonyms
  • transform

    more general; can describe smaller or more gradual changes

  • overhaul

    suggests taking something apart and rebuilding it; less dramatic than revolutionise

  • disrupt

    modern term in business/tech; implies breaking the old model rather than improving it

Antonyms
  • preserve

    to keep something as it is, resisting change

Grammar Patterns

revolutionise + noun phrase

Usage Note

This is the British English spelling; the American English equivalent is 'revolutionize'. The word is most often used with fields or domains (technology, education, healthcare, industry) rather than single objects.

Common Mistakes

The app revolutionised phones.
The app revolutionised the way people use their phones.
'revolutionise' needs a broader domain or field as its object, not just the thing itself.
He revolutionised the company last week.
His new strategy completely revolutionised how the company operates.
'revolutionise' describes a major transformation, not a routine change.

2. to introduce strong revolutionary political ideas to a group of people or a soci

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to introduce strong revolutionary political ideas to a group of people or a society, making them want radical change

Example

The student group hoped to revolutionise the working class through pamphlets and public speeches.

revolutionise + social group + through [means]

The underground magazine sought to revolutionise rural farmers with calls for land reform.

revolutionise + [social group] + with [ideological message]

Common collocations
  • revolutionise a society
  • revolutionise political thought
  • revolutionise the masses
Synonyms
  • politicise

    weaker — means to make someone politically aware, not necessarily revolutionary

  • radicalise

    implies extreme views, often with a negative connotation

Grammar Patterns

be revolutionised by + [ideology/leader]

Usage Note

This older, political sense is now less common in everyday English. It is typically found in historical or political writing about social movements. The object is usually a social group or a political system.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe making significant changes, but they differ in scope and nature. 'Transform' is the broadest — it describes a change in form or character that can be small or large, fast or gradual ('the company transformed its image'). 'Overhaul' suggests taking something apart and rebuilding it, typically with practical improvements ('the mechanic overhauled the engine'). 'Disrupt' is a modern term in business and technology that means to change an industry by introducing something new that makes existing products or services obsolete ('streaming services disrupted traditional television'). 'Reform' applies to social, political, or legal change made deliberately to correct faults without necessarily replacing the whole system ('the government reformed the education system'). 'Revolutionise' is the strongest of the group — it implies a complete, radical transformation that changes the fundamental nature of something. For example, the printing press revolutionised access to knowledge, whereas a school board might reform the curriculum without revolutionising education.

transform ↗overhaul ↗disrupt ↗reform ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the way something works
  • the way people do something
  • an entire industry

Etymology

FrenchLatinEnglish

From French 'révolutionner', formed in the late 18th century during the French Revolution from 'révolution' (revolution). The verb originally referred to political upheaval — filling people with revolutionary ideals — and later broadened to mean any radical transformation of a system, industry, or field.