communist

American  

[kom-yuh-nist] / ˈkɒm yə nɪst /

noun

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.

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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

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adjective

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

communist Cultural  

1. A supporter of communism.

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Other Word Forms

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

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

Dimunitive and draped in a plain cotton sari and rubber sandals, Banerjee hardly looked like a politician who would topple one of the world's longest-running elected Communist governments.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

It isn’t that the Communist Party ever really encouraged religious celebrations, but what was tolerated before is no longer acceptable.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The 17-year-old was one of China's many newly minted entrepreneurs as capitalism took off under the watchful eye of its Communist Party rulers.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

In 2022 he described the agency as a key tool to “counter the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding global influence.”

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

Chevalier was a professor of French literature at Berkeley and the host of the Communist discussion group at which Oppenheimer had been spotted by the FBI about two years earlier.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin