revolutionary wars: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumFormal/Academic
Quick answer
What does “revolutionary wars” mean?
Wars fought during or as a result of political or social revolutions, often to establish new governments or ideologies.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Wars fought during or as a result of political or social revolutions, often to establish new governments or ideologies.
Can refer to any conflicts characterized by revolutionary changes, including metaphorical wars in contexts like technology or business.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, often refers to the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802), while in American English, it commonly refers to the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
Connotations
In the UK, it evokes European history; in the US, it is tied to national identity and independence.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to the centrality of the American Revolution in US history.
Grammar
How to Use “revolutionary wars” in a Sentence
the revolutionary wars of [country/period]revolutionary wars that [changed history]during the revolutionary warsafter the revolutionary warsVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “revolutionary wars” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The conflicts revolutionised warfare tactics in the 18th century.
American English
- These wars revolutionized military strategies across the colonies.
adjective
British English
- The revolutionary wars period was a time of great upheaval in Europe.
American English
- His research focuses on the revolutionary wars era in American history.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used; might refer metaphorically to disruptive market changes.
Academic
Common in historical, political science, and sociological texts.
Everyday
Infrequent; mostly in educational or documentary contexts.
Technical
Used in military history or revolutionary studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “revolutionary wars”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “revolutionary wars”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “revolutionary wars”
- Using 'revolutionary wars' to describe any civil war; confusing with 'industrial revolution' which is peaceful.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are conflicts that occur as part of or result from political or social revolutions, often aiming to establish new systems.
No, by definition, wars involve armed conflict, but revolutions themselves can sometimes be peaceful.
Revolutionary wars specifically involve revolutionary change towards a new order, while civil wars are internal conflicts that may not aim for radical ideological change.
Primarily, but the term can be applied metaphorically to describe conflicts in other domains like technology or business that involve drastic change.
Wars fought during or as a result of political or social revolutions, often to establish new governments or ideologies.
Revolutionary wars is usually formal/academic in register.
Revolutionary wars: in British English it is pronounced /ˌrev.əˈluː.ʃən.ə.ri wɔːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrev.əˈluː.ʃə.ner.i wɔːrz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “wars of independence”
- “battles for change”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
REVOLutionary WARS: Remember that these WARS REVOLve around major changes.
Conceptual Metaphor
War as a storm of change; revolution as a fire that spreads through conflict.
Practice
Quiz
What do 'revolutionary wars' typically refer to?