revisionary

Revisionary is an English term that functions as both an adjective and, less commonly, a noun. As an adjective, it describes something pertaining to revision or the act of revising, such as revisionary work, revisionary standards, or revisionary processes. As a noun, revisionary can refer to a person who revises, though in practice terms like reviser or revisionist are more common, and the noun form revisionary is relatively rare and context-dependent.

In usage, revisionary describes activities, approaches, or attitudes that involve updating, correcting, or reworking a text, theory, plan, or account. In editing or publishing, a revisionary editor might oversee changes to a manuscript. In historiography or science, revisionary interpretations or revisionary theories reflect attempts to revise established narratives or models in light of new evidence or perspectives. The term is typically neutral, focusing on the process of revision rather than on any specific ideological stance.

Etymology traces revisionary to the noun revision, with the suffix -ary forming adjectives and occasional nouns. It remains distinct from revisionist, which more often carries connotations of advocacy for a particular revision of accepted ideas or history. The nuance of revisionary is thus more about the act or quality of revising, whereas revisionist emphasizes a stance or doctrine advocating a revision.

See also: revision, revise, reviser, revisionist.