commie

¹ American  

[kom-ee] / ˈkɒm i /

Or commy

noun

(often initial capital letter)

commies plural

1. communist.

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commie ² American  

[kom-ee] / ˈkɒm i /

noun

1. a playing marble, especially one not used as a shooter.

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commie British  

/ ˈkɒmɪ /

noun

1. short for communist

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Sensitive Note

The shortened and informal term commie has derogatory connotations, whereas the full form communist is merely descriptive. Both terms refer primarily to an advocate of communism, but have been more widely applied to an enemy, a foreigner, or a person regarded as subversive.

Etymology

Origin of commie¹

First recorded in 1935–40; comm(unist) + -ie

Origin of commie²

1920–25; comm(on marble) + -ie

Explanation

Commie is derogatory slang for communist. You shouldn't call someone a commie unless you want to start a fight. A commie is a communist, a person who favors the eventual creation of a classless society in which goods are equally shared between all citizens. This word was most common in the 1950s, during the strongly anti-communist era of the US. Being called a commie back then might result in losing a job or being ostracized by friends. Today, you're much less likely to hear the word commie, which has the same root as communism, the French communisme, from the Old French comun, "common, free, open, or public."

Example Sentences

Tao, who is gay, has pointedly played Copland’s steely piano works to reclaim this “gay, Commie Jew,” as he described Copland in an interview, from the perception that his music is solely about nostalgic Americana.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2021

The story is told in the past tense by Madeline Furston, better known as Linda, Commie and Freak to classmates at her small-town Minnesota high school.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2017

“Was it worth it? Are people going to call me a Commie? Call me stupid? A clown? Was it worth it?”

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2016

She described her mother — the artist Frances Bloch-Heifetz, a relative of violinist Jascha Heifetz — as an even more extreme radical: "She was really an anarchist. A total Commie."

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2015

I was cleaning houses in Draper when the mail came, so Robin left the letter on my bed with a note that I was a Commie now.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover