"radical" means excellent. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
radical
Excellent.
ˈræd.ɪ.kəlDocumented since 1980s1980sGen XhistoricalCurrent285 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useGen X eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
With that in mind, "TERF" (at least when written in all caps) is obviously not in itself a slur - it was coined for a purpose, to distinguish between trans-inclusive and trans-exclusionary radical feminists.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Institutet för nerväxtstudier / Institute for Degrowth studies anordnar Study circle: reading Radical Abundance När: 6/5 18:30 Var: Malmö
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BlueskyMay 2026
Corrupt radical right-wing SCOTUS. 🤬
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BlueskyMay 2026
Navigating uncharted waters - The implications of China’s radical trade policy change on global investment landscape.
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BlueskyMay 2026
...and for no.5 - the compilers of Labour's 1977 Rent Act might like to have a word. But then that was when radical change was acceptable in the Labour Party
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Definitions
US-WEST
#1·Apr 26, 2026US-WEST
Excellent. Surfer / skater slang from the 1980s and 90s, often shortened to "rad."
"That trick was totally radical."
Origin: 1980s Southern California surf and skate culture; mainstreamed by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.
For parents
"radical" means excellent. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
For ESL learners
"radical" is informal English meaning excellent. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "excellent" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "radical" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“With that in mind, "TERF" (at least when written in all caps) is obviously not in itself a slur - it was coined for a purpose, to distinguish between trans-inclusive and trans-exclusionary radical feminists.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Institutet för nerväxtstudier / Institute for Degrowth studies anordnar Study circle: reading Radical Abundance När: 6/5 18:30 Var: Malmö”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Corrupt radical right-wing SCOTUS. 🤬”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Navigating uncharted waters - The implications of China’s radical trade policy change on global investment landscape.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“...and for no.5 - the compilers of Labour's 1977 Rent Act might like to have a word. But then that was when radical change was acceptable in the Labour Party”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Global
#9·May 2, 2026Global
In logographic writing systems such as the Chinese writing system, the portion of a character used to index it. Often, but not always, this is also the portion indicating meaning; compare the following sense.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#12·May 2, 2026Global
In Celtic languages, the basic, underlying form of an initial consonant which can be further mutated under the Celtic initial consonant mutations.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#14·May 2, 2026Global
Given an ideal I in a commutative ring R, another ideal, denoted Rad(I) or <math>\sqrt{I}</math>, such that an element x ∈ R is in Rad(I) if, for some positive integer n, x<sup>n</sup> ∈ I; equivalently, the intersection of all prime ideals containing I.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Show 17 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
Global
#2·May 2, 2026Global
The intersection of maximal submodules of a given module.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#3·May 2, 2026Global
Thoroughgoing; far-reaching.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#4·May 2, 2026Global
Pertaining to the basic or intrinsic nature of something.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#5·May 2, 2026Global
Involving free radicals.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#6·May 2, 2026Global
The product of the distinct prime factors of a given positive integer.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#7·May 2, 2026Global
A member of an influential, centrist political party favouring moderate social reform, a republican constitution, and secular politics.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#8·May 2, 2026Global
Relating to a radix or mathematical root.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#10·May 2, 2026Global
A member of the most progressive wing of the Liberal Party; someone favouring social reform (but generally stopping short of socialism).
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#11·May 2, 2026Global
Produced using the root of the tongue.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#13·May 2, 2026Global
In Semitic languages, any one of the set of consonants (typically three) that make up a root.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#15·May 2, 2026Global
A person with radical opinions.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#16·May 2, 2026Global
Given a ring R, an ideal containing elements of R that share a property considered, in some sense, "not good".
Heard in the wild
“# Radical (chemistry) Radical (chemistry) Atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired valence electron; typically highly reactive "Free radical" redirects here.”
“If an [internal link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Radical&namespace=0) incorrectly led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.”
“For contemporary political use of the term radical, see [Radical left](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_left_(disambiguation) "Radical left (disambiguation)"), [Radical right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_right_(disambiguation) "Radical right (disambiguation)"), and [Radical politics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_politics "Radical politics").”
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#17·May 2, 2026Global
Favoring fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#18·May 2, 2026Global
Of or pertaining to the root of a word.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#19·May 2, 2026Global
A group of atoms, joined by covalent bonds, that take part in reactions as a single unit.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#20·May 2, 2026Global
A root (of a number or quantity).
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#21·May 2, 2026Global
Pertaining to a root .
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "radical" (R)
radarmanradblrraderadgepacketradgieradgie gadgieradiclibradioflashradiophonicsradioteriaRadium Girlradlib
Browse all slang words starting with R.