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Origin and history of radical

radical(adj.)

late 14c., "originating in the root or ground;" of body parts or fluids, "vital to life," from Latin radicalis "of or having roots," from Latin radix (genitive radicis) "root" (from PIE root *wrād- "branch, root"). The basic sense of the word in all meanings is "pertaining or relating to a root or roots," hence "thoroughgoing, extreme."

The figurative meaning "going to the origin, essential" is from 1650s. The political sense of "reformist" is by 1817, of the extreme section of the British Liberal party (radical reform had been a current phrase since 1786), via the notion of "change from the roots" (see radical (n.)). The meaning "unconventional" is from 1921. U.S. youth slang use is from 1983, from 1970s surfer slang meaning "at the limits of control."

The mathematical radical sign, placed before any quantity to denote that its root is to be extracted, is from 1680s; the sign itself is a modification of the letter -r-. Radical chic is attested from 1970; popularized, if not coined, by Tom Wolfe. Radical empiricism was coined 1897 by William James (see empiricism).

also from late 14c.

radical(n.)

1630s, in philology, "root part of a word, primitive verbal element serving as the root of inflected or derivative words," from radical (adj.) Political sense of "extremist, person who holds radical principles, one who pursues a theory to its furthest limit" is by 1802; chemical sense is by 1816.

In the political sense, in which the word has been most used, a Radical is one who aims at thorough reform in government from a liberal or democratic point of view, or desires the establishment of what he regards as abstract principles of right and justice, by the most direct and uncompromising methods. ... The name Radical is often applied as one of reproach to the members of a party by their opponents. [Century Dictionary, 1895]

also from 1630s

Entries linking to radical

empiricism(n.)

"reliance on direct experience and observation rather than on theory;" 1650s, originally in a medical sense, from empiric + -ism. The original medical sense was depreciative: "quackery; the pretension of an ignorant person to medical skill." The depreciative quality carried over later into the general sense of "reliance on direct observation rather than theory," especially an undue reliance on mere individual experience. In reference to a philosophical doctrine which regards experience as the only source of knowledge from 1796.

Were I obliged to give a short name to the attitude in question, I should call it that of radical empiricism, in spite of the fact that such brief nicknames are nowhere more misleading than in philosophy. I say 'empiricism' because it is contented to regard its most assured conclusions concerning matters of fact as hypotheses liable to modification in the course of future experience; and I say 'radical,' because it treats the doctrine of monism itself as an hypothesis, and, unlike so much of the half way empiricism that is current under the name of positivism or agnosticism or scientific naturalism, it does not dogmatically affirm monism as something with which all experience has got to square. The difference between monism and pluralism is perhaps the most pregnant of all the differences in philosophy. [William James, preface to "The Sentiment of Rationality" in "The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy," 1897]

rad(n.)

1918, "x-ray dose unit," a shortened form of radiation (q.v.). The meaning "unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation" is by 1954, an acronym from radiation absorbed dose. As shortened form of radical (n.), it is attested in political slang from 1820. Teen slang adjectival sense of "extraordinary, wonderful" is from late 1970s (see radical (adj.)).