révolution

/ʁevɔlysjɔ̃/
nounIntermediate
formal

A fundamental and often violent change in the political, social, or economic structure of a society, typically involving the overthrow of an existing government or system.

La révolution industrielle a transformé l'économie mondiale.

The Industrial Revolution transformed the global economy.

💡

Often refers to historical events like the French Revolution or the American Revolution.

general

A significant change or upheaval in any field, not necessarily political.

La révolution numérique a changé notre façon de communiquer.

The digital revolution changed the way we communicate.

💡

Can be used metaphorically for any major transformation.

Collocations

faire une révolutionto cause a revolutionrévolution industrielleindustrial revolutionrévolution numériquedigital revolution

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

révolutionnerverb
to revolutionize
révolutionnaireadjective
revolutionary

💡Pro Tip

Historical Context

The term is strongly associated with political upheavals, such as the French Revolution.

Gold Rule

Capitalization

In French, 'révolution' is not capitalized unless it is part of a proper noun (e.g., 'Révolution française').

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'revolutio', meaning 'a turning around' or 'a rolling back'.

📝Usage Notes

In French, 'révolution' is often used in a political context but can also refer to any major change.

Word Breakdown

ré-
again
prefix
+
-volution
turning around
root
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais