revolution

revolution — noun

1. an event where the people of a country join together to push out their leaders a

1.nounB2
Definition

an event where the people of a country join together to push out their leaders and build a new form of government, typically through armed struggle or widespread protest

Example

The country's revolution in 1989 led to the end of a long military dictatorship.

revolution + in + [year] for historical events

Christopher's grandfather was a doctor who treated wounded soldiers during the revolution.

Common collocations
  • spark a revolution
  • lead a revolution
  • revolution against
  • revolution breaks out
  • revolution in [country]
  • bloodless revolution
Synonyms
  • uprising

    more sudden and often shorter-lived than a full revolution

  • revolt

    emphasises the act of refusing to accept authority, not necessarily leading to a new system

  • coup

    typically a small group (often the military) seizes power, not a mass movement

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

revolution + against + [entity]

revolution + in + [place]

Usage Note

When used as an uncountable noun, revolution refers to the concept or process of revolutionary change rather than a specific event: 'The country was on the brink of revolution.'

Common Mistakes

The French Revolution happened in 1789 and ended the monarchy.
The French Revolution took place between 1789 and 1799, ending the monarchy.
'happened' is too vague for describing a major historical process; use 'took place' or 'broke out'.
He started a revolution against his boss.
He led a revolt against his boss.
'revolution' implies large-scale political change, not a workplace dispute.

2. a complete and far-reaching shift in how people think about or carry out a parti

2.nounB2
Definition

a complete and far-reaching shift in how people think about or carry out a particular activity, typically brought about by new discoveries or tools

Example

The invention of the smartphone sparked a revolution in how people communicate with one another.

revolution + in + [activity/field] for transformative change

Rania believes that online education has started a quiet revolution in rural communities across Southeast Asia.

Common collocations
  • industrial revolution
  • digital revolution
  • green revolution
  • revolution in [field]
  • spark a revolution
  • bring about a revolution
Synonyms
  • transformation

    less dramatic; can happen slowly over time without the suddenness implied by revolution

  • upheaval

    emphasises the disruptive, unsettled nature of the change; more negative in tone

  • paradigm shift

    more formal and intellectual; used mainly in academic or scientific contexts

Antonyms
  • stagnation

    a period where nothing new happens or improves

Grammar Patterns

revolution + in + [field/activity]

Usage Note

This sense is typically modified by an adjective or a prepositional phrase beginning with 'in' that names the field affected: 'the industrial revolution', 'a revolution in medicine'.

Common Mistakes

The industrial revolution happened when machines were invented.
The Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century when machines started replacing hand tools in factories.
Use 'began' / 'took place' / 'transformed' instead of the vague 'happened'.

3. the continuous movement of one object around another object or around a central

3.nounB2
Definition

the continuous movement of one object around another object or around a central point, following a curved path

Example

The revolution of the Earth around the Sun takes approximately three hundred and sixty-five days.

revolution + of + [body] + around + [central body]

Jisoo built a model showing the revolution of the Moon around the Earth using wire and clay.

Common collocations
  • revolution around
  • revolution of [body]
  • complete a revolution
  • in revolution
Synonyms
  • orbit

    specifically the curved path of a celestial object around another; more technical

  • circling

    less formal and less precise; describes the action of going around something

Grammar Patterns

revolution + around + [point/body]

revolution + of + [body]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 4 (ONE FULL TURN): this sense describes continuous orbital or circular movement as a process, while sense 4 counts individual completed turns. In astronomy, 'revolution' refers to orbital motion around another body, while 'rotation' refers to spinning on an axis.

Common Mistakes

The Earth makes one revolution on its axis every 24 hours.
The Earth makes one rotation on its axis every 24 hours, and one revolution around the Sun every 365 days.
'Revolution' is movement around another object; 'rotation' is spinning on an axis.

4. a single full turn of an object around its centre, ending exactly where it began

4.nounB2
Definition

a single full turn of an object around its centre, ending exactly where it began

Example

The car engine was running at three thousand revolutions per minute when Tamar pressed the accelerator.

[number] + revolutions per minute (rpm) — common in mechanics

Each revolution of the bicycle wheel moves the bike forward by about two metres on flat ground.

Common collocations
  • revolutions per minute
  • number of revolutions
  • complete a revolution
  • engine revolutions
Synonyms
  • rotation

    often used interchangeably for a single complete turn around a central axis

  • turn

    less formal and less precise than 'revolution'; could also mean a partial turn

Grammar Patterns

[number] + revolution(s)

revolution + per + [time unit]

Usage Note

Commonly used with numbers and time units, especially with the abbreviation 'rpm' (revolutions per minute) to describe engine or motor speed. This sense is always countable.

Common Mistakes

The wheel makes a rotation around its centre.
The wheel makes a revolution around its centre.
When describing the full turn of a wheel returning to its starting point, 'revolution' is the more precise term in mechanics.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe action against authority, but they differ in scale and method. A revolution aims to replace the entire political system, often involving mass participation — the French Revolution is a classic example. An uprising is a sudden, often violent protest that may or may not succeed in changing the government; it is shorter-lived than a revolution. A revolt focuses on refusing to obey authority and can be limited to a region or group, such as when soldiers revolt against their commanders. A coup (or coup d'état) is a swift takeover of government by a small group, usually military leaders, without a mass movement. Rebellion is broader than revolt, suggesting organised armed resistance against a government over an extended period. For example, the American Revolution was initially a rebellion, but it became a revolution when the colonies established a new system of government.

revolution ↗uprisingrevoltcoup ↗rebellion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • revolution breaks out
  • revolutions per minute
  • spark a revolution
  • the revolution of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'revolution' comes from Latin 'revolvere', meaning 'to roll back' or 'to turn around'. It entered English in the 14th century through Old French 'revolucion', originally referring to the movement of celestial bodies around a centre. By the 16th century, its meaning had expanded to include political upheaval, perhaps because the cyclical nature of orbital motion suggested a 'turning back' to an earlier form of government — though today political revolution implies forward change, not return.