lobbyist
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lobbyist
Explanation
A lobbyist is someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause. Lobbyists get paid to win favor from politicians. For example, oil companies send lobbyists to Washington to try to make life easier for oil companies. Sometimes they do it by making a great case for their cause, but often it involves fancy dinners and golf outings. If that sounds kind of shady, it is. But remember that women's rights groups and cancer research foundations have lobbyists, too — it's just one way to get your voice heard on the Hill.
Vocabulary lists containing lobbyist
100 Top "SAT" Words
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U.S. Government Lingo
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Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, Duncan was becoming an effective, self-taught lobbyist at the state capitol.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Nevada-based tungsten mining company Patriot Critical Minerals, said his firm hired a lobbyist.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
“If you have a viewpoint, you should be willing to say who you are,” said Lisa Gritzner, a veteran City Hall lobbyist.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
McOsker later worked as an attorney and registered city lobbyist representing the hotel industry and the Los Angeles Police Department’s labor union.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
One was a lawyer and lobbyist from the state capital of Columbus.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
