The word "revolution" comes from the Latin word revolutio, meaning "a turn around" or "rolling back." Its original sense was tied to cycles or rotations — something revolving, like celestial bodies moving in orbits.

Over time, this concept of a "complete turn" or "cycle" evolved metaphorically, by the 17th century, "revolution" began being used to describe major societal or political shifts, like the English Revolution or later the French Revolution. The idea was that society was going through a fundamental "turning point" or a "complete change" — almost like resetting or cycling to a new system.