English Explanatory Dictionary

root and branch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Total, thorough, sweeping, complete, radical, drastic.
adv
  1. Totally, completely.

Word forms

root and branch root-and-branch

Etymology

From the Bible. Used as a title for the Root and Branch petition presented to the Long Parliament on December 11, 1640.

Synonyms

abject frightful absolute arrant categoric categorical complete consummate decided downright full full-blown full-bore full-on mere outright out-and-out perfect precious proper pure stark rank regular right root and branch sheer straight-out thorough thoroughgoing total unadulterated unalloyed unattenuated uncompromising unconditional unfettered unmitigated unqualified unreserved unrestricted utter wholesale absolutely all-out tout à fait all the way blind altogether at large at length cap-a-pie categorically completely detailly entirely exhaustively finally first and last flat-out

Related words

root out root up uproot deracination eradication extirpation stem to stern top to bottom

Derived words

root-and-brancher
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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