Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “radical” come from?

Radical comes from French radical, derived from Latin radicalis, an adjective form of Latin radix meaning root, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wréh₂ds.

radical (English): Favoring fundamental change, or change at the...

Definitions

  1. Favoring fundamental change, or change at the...

Ancestry of “radical”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchradicalradical; radical, root
2Late Latinradicalisof or pertaining to the root, having roots,...
3Latinrādīx—
4Proto-Italicwrādīks—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwréh₂dsroot

Words derived from “radical”

  • radically
  • radicalism
  • radicalization
  • radicalize
  • radicality
  • radicalness
  • extraradical
  • biradical
  • radicalise
  • nonradical
  • antiradical
  • intraradical
  • antiradicalism
  • macroradical
  • deradicalization
  • diradical
  • ultraradical
  • oxyradical
  • triradical
  • unradical
  • deradicalize
  • diradicaloid
  • biradicaloid
  • preradical
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wréh₂ds →