activist

[ak-tuh-vist]

noun

1. an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially a political cause.

adjective

1. of or relating to activism or activists.

   an activist organization for environmental concern.

2. advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, especially a political cause.

   Activist opponents of the president picketed the White House.

Other Word Forms

• nonactivist adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of activist¹

First recorded in 1905–10; active + -ist

Example Sentences

“There’s a funny moment when you realize that as an activist: The off-ramp out of extreme poverty is, ugh, commerce, it’s entrepreneurial capitalism.”

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Tom Steyer, a 68-year-old former hedge fund manager turned climate activist, turned exactly zero heads last week when he kicked off his campaign for California governor.

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After making a bundle as a hedge fund manager, the San Francisco billionaire and environmental activist has been panting after public office for years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Middleton appeared in the courtroom Friday morning and sat beside Mitchell’s mother and a number of activists who have long monitored the trial.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This extraordinary man of parts was a novelist, nature writer, editor, environmentalist, political activist, outdoorsman and Zen master.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• combatant 
• demonstrator 
• fighter 
• protester www.thesaurus.com
• rioter www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

What does activist mean?

An activist is a person who engages in activism—the practice of taking direct action to achieve political or social goals.An activist may support a particular cause (or range of causes) or oppose it.In any case, an activist tries to achieve such goals through direct (and continued) actions, such as protests, lawsuits, lobbying, petitions, and strikes.The word activist implies that the person takes such actions consistently—that they are consistently active in these pursuits. For example, protesting is a form of activism, but someone who attends one protest probably wouldn’t be called an activist (unless they continue to take such actions).The word activist is often preceded by a word referring to the kind of cause the activist is involved in, as in political activist or animal rights activist. It can also be used as an adjective to describe such people or their activities, as in activist lawyer or activist organization. Example: The prominent activist is known for organizing this summer’s mass protests.