grassroots

American  

[gras-roots, -roots, grahs-] / ˈgræsˌruts, -ˌrʊts, ˈgrɑs- /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc.; the rank and file.

2. the agricultural and rural areas of a country.

3. the people inhabiting these areas, especially as a political, social, or economic group.

4. the origin or basis of something; the basic or primary concept, rule, part, or the like.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving the common people, especially as contrasted with or separable from an elite.

   a grassroots movement for nuclear disarmament.

Etymology

Origin of grassroots

1910–15 grassroots for def. 1

Explanation

Something grassroots is at the most basic level of something, down there in the dirt with the roots of an idea or activity. If you’re looking to make a change from the ground up, start at the grassroots. If you want a gorgeous yard, don’t fluff the blades of grass, get down to work on the roots and soil. The grassroots is the most fundamental, basic level of well, grass, but also ideas or political movements. Freedom is a grassroots value of America. Love is a grassroots part of marriage. Reading and writing are grassroots elements of education. Grassroots is where things begin and shoot out from.

Example Sentences

As for the federal government, independent analyses by Grassroots Wildland Firefighters and NPR found that Forest Service wildfire mitigation work is on the decline amid federal staffing cuts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

Abdullah said Black Lives Matter Grassroots, an activist group within the BLM movement, would meet with L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

Riva Duncan, a retired Forest Service fire chief and the vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, a labor advocacy organization, said staffing is a constant frustration for managers on the ground.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2025

A number of clubs have already agreed to hold a minute-long silence for Poppy ahead of this weekend's games as part of a campaign launched on social media by South Shields-based Team Grassroots.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

I am a diplomat of the Grassroots Republic of Mars.

From Mutineer by Shea, Robert