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radical

radical, drastic

adjective rah-dee-KAL Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Origin: from Latin 'radicalis' (of the root), from 'radix' (root)

Also means

root (linguistics)

Usage Note

Radical agrees in gender and number: radicale (f), radicaux (m pl), radicales (f pl). In politics it describes extreme or far-reaching positions; in everyday speech une cure radicale means a drastic remedy. As a noun, un radical can also mean a linguistic root or a political radical.

Examples

"Il a pris une décision radicale."

Natural Translation

He made a drastic decision.

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