What does "cultural revolution" mean?

a radical reform in China initiated by Mao Zedong in 1965 and carried out largely by the Red Guard; intended to eliminate counterrevolutionary elements in the government it resulted in purges of the intellectuals and socioeconomic chaos

Cultural revolution

Q: What is a synonym for "cultural revolution"?

Common synonyms include: chinese cultural revolution, cultural overhaul, cultural paradigm shift, cultural reform, cultural shift, cultural transformation.

name

name ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
a radical reform in China initiated by Mao Zedong in 1965 and carried out largely by the Red Guard; intended to eliminate counterrevolutionary elements in the government it resulted in purges of the intellectuals and socioeconomic chaos wordnet

Proper Noun

1
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of Communist China (1966–1976). historical
"Since the Cultural Revolution, in particular since the movement to criticize Lin Piao and Confucius, party organizations at all levels in Shensi have attached importance to cultivating new cadres."
2
Iran's Cultural Revolution of 1980–1983. historical
3
Any reform movement in which a national government aims to radically change its country's political, social, economical, and cultural values. broadly
"First, they came for Seuss. Then, Ook and Gluk. The Cultural Revolution in our midst."

Synonyms

All synonyms

chinese cultural revolution cultural overhaul cultural paradigm shift cultural reform cultural shift cultural transformation

Antonyms

All antonyms

conservative cultural continuity cultural preservation cultural restoration

Example

More examples

"Since the Cultural Revolution, in particular since the movement to criticize Lin Piao and Confucius, party organizations at all levels in Shensi have attached importance to cultivating new cadres."

Etymology

Calque from Chinese 文化大革命 (Wénhuà Dà Gémìng).

Next best steps

Browse writing guides Explore topic clusters