communist

American  

[kom-yuh-nist] / ˈkɒm jə nɪst /

noun

• communists
  plural

1. (initial capital letter) a member of the Communist Party or movement.

2. an advocate of communism.

3. a person who is regarded as supporting politically leftist or subversive causes.

4. (usually initial capital letter) a Communard.

---

adjective

1. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Communist Party or to Communism.

2. pertaining to communists or communism.

communist British  

/ ˈkɒmjʊnɪst /

noun

1. a supporter of any form of communism

2. (often capital) a supporter of Communism or a Communist movement or state

3. (often capital) a member of a Communist party

4. (often capital) any person holding left-wing views, esp when considered subversive

5. a person who practises communal living; communalist

6. another name for Communard

---

adjective

1. of, characterized by, favouring, or relating to communism; communistic

communist Cultural  

1. A supporter of communism.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticommunist
  noun
• anticommunistic
  adjective
• anticommunistical
  adjective
• communistic
  adjective
• communistical
  adjective
• procommunist
  adjective
• anticommunistically
  adverb
• communistically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• communists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of communist

From the French word communiste, dating back to 1835–45. See common, -ist

Explanation

Communism is a political doctrine that is an extreme form of Socialism, and anyone belonging to this particular political party is called a communist. A handful of countries call themselves communist, including China, Cuba, and North Korea — though many communists would disagree. We can find the roots of the word communist in the Latin communis, meaning "common" or "shared." These meanings certainly apply to the ideal version of Communism, which means that everyone is equal, and no one has more than anyone else. It was first used in English as both a noun and an adjective in 1841, taken from the French communiste. In the mid-20th Century, division between the U.S. and its allies and those that were Communist formed what became the “Cold War.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

communist communists

When the Shanghai Municipal Police arrested them for suspected communist activities on June 15, 1931, the pair identified themselves as the Belgians Hilaire Noulens and Marie Motte—no, it was Fernand and Marie Vandercruyssen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

As they submitted their American passports and entered the communist colossus, they appeared to be musicians, as indeed they were.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

According to one former CIA officer, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, the group is one of the few institutions in Cuba's government with an interest in abandoning the decades-old communist economic model.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

In 1942, when one of the leaders of the House Un-American Activities Committee baselessly accused the famous educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune of being a communist, Smith sprang into action.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

There was also increased concern that, without greater equality for African Americans, blacks would become susceptible to communist influence, given Russia’s commitment to both racial and economic equality.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

But the DSA’s big tent also accommodates dedicated Marxists and communists, including several of its 27-member National Political Committee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

But in West Bengal and Tripura - once the great bastions of Left power - the communists have been reduced to a shadow of their former self.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

Brown and black coal mining employed about 100,000 people in the 1980s, when the former Czechoslovakia was ruled by Moscow-steered communists promoting heavy industry.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

He quickly rose to become a top organizer and leader in the party’s perpetual street fighting with political opponents, especially socialists and communists.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2025

Up close the city constitutes an oppressive series of staircases, but from a distance it inspires fantasies of wealth and power so profound that even our communists are temporarily rendered speechless.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris