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Glite Dictionary
bloodless revolution

bloodless revolution

4.9
A change of government that happens without violence
  • noun
  • /ˈblʌdləs ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/
translation icon : revolución pacífica
  • Following years of turmoil, the bloodless revolution brought about significant political change without any violence.

Examples

  • This has been a fairly bloodless revolution.

    Moon Over Parador (1988)

  • A bloodless revolution.

    No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)

  • The country experienced a bloodless revolution that resulted in a new democratic government.

  • The citizens celebrated their bloodless revolution, proud of how they achieved power through peaceful means.

How Violent

coup
  • Literature
622 8.1
revolution
810 4.1
bloodless revolution
4.9
peaceful
428 1.0

Surface Forms

bloodless revolution singular
bloodless revolutions plural

Morphology

bloodless + revolution

The adjective 'bloodless' (without bloodshed) combined with 'revolution' (a change or overthrow of government) yields a directly compositional meaning: a revolution without violence. This adjectival-noun combination follows a transparent, cross-linguistically common logic, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Bloodless revolution combines bloodless (no blood or fighting) and revolution (a big change in government), giving a clear picture of people and leaders changing power without battles. That's why it means 'a change in government without the use of violence'.