nonradical
|non-ra-di-cal|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈrædɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈrædɪkəl/
not radical; not extreme
Etymology
'nonradical' is formed from the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') plus 'radical', ultimately from Latin 'radicalis' (from 'radix', meaning 'root').
'radical' comes from Latin 'radicalis' (from 'radix' meaning 'root'), passed into Old French and Middle English as 'radical', keeping the sense related to 'root' and later extending to political/ideological senses; 'non-' as a productive negative prefix was later attached to form 'nonradical' in modern English.
Originally related to 'root' or 'root-based' (literal sense); 'radical' later acquired senses of extreme or fundamental change, and 'nonradical' came to mean 'not extreme' or 'not favoring major change'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person or thing that is not radical; someone holding moderate or conventional views.
In the debate, the nonradicals formed a clear majority.
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Adjective 1
not radical; not supporting or involving major or fundamental change (often used about political or social views).
The party adopted a nonradical platform that emphasized gradual reform.
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Adjective 2
in chemistry, describing a species or process that does not involve free radicals.
The reaction pathway chosen was nonradical and proceeded via ionic intermediates.
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Last updated: 2025/11/18 07:02