Radical Left

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Since the early 20th century, Radical Left has been used as an umbrella term to describe those on the political left who adhere explicitly and openly to revolutionary socialism, communism, or anarchism.

The Radical Left is a specific subset of, and should not be confused with, the Far left.

During the 19th century, the term "radical (left)" was used by progressive liberals to distance themselves from classical liberals, which explains why some political parties today considered to be center-left still have "radical" in their names. It should be noted that although some neoconservatives in the United States have used the word "radical" to describe elements of the Democratic Party, this is a malapropism as not even the more 'extreme' elements of this party approach the meaning of "Radical Left" in other countries.

The term Radical Left also applies to the names of two social-liberal parties, Det Radikale Venstre in Denmark (which translates into English literally as "radical left"), and the Left Radical Party in France.

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