radical

adjective rrah-dee-KAHL Less Common

Usage Note

Radical carries both a political sense (extreme) and a neutral mathematical sense (related to a root or radical symbol). In everyday speech it increasingly means 'drastic' or 'total', as in un cambio radical. The plural is radicales and the noun form is radicalismo.

Examples

"Necesitamos un cambio radical."

Natural Translation

We need a radical change.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Ser vs. Estar: When to Use Each in Spanish

Ser vs estar made simple: how you feel and where you are use estar, everything else uses ser. Master the rule, the exceptions, and the traps that flip meaning.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Object Pronouns: Lo, La, Le & Se Made Simple

Use lo/la for the direct object and le for the indirect — and le becomes se before lo/la. Master Spanish object pronouns with one simple verb test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

How to Tell Time in Spanish: A Beginner's Guide

Tell time in Spanish with one formula: es la una vs son las, y and menos for minutes, plus de la mañana, en punto, and 24-hour station times.

June 9, 2026 5 min read