activist

American  

[ak-tuh-vist] / ˈæk tə vɪst /

noun

1. an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially a political cause.

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adjective

1. of or relating to activism or activists.

   an activist organization for environmental concern.

2. advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, especially a political cause.

   Activist opponents of the president picketed the White House.

Usage

What does activist mean? An activist is a person who engages in activism—the practice of taking direct action to achieve political or social goals. An activist may support a particular cause (or range of causes) or oppose it. In any case, an activist tries to achieve such goals through direct (and continued) actions, such as protests, lawsuits, lobbying, petitions, and strikes. The word activist implies that the person takes such actions consistently—that they are consistently active in these pursuits. For example, protesting is a form of activism, but someone who attends one protest probably wouldn’t be called an activist (unless they continue to take such actions). The word activist is often preceded by a word referring to the kind of cause the activist is involved in, as in political activist or animal rights activist. It can also be used as an adjective to describe such people or their activities, as in activist lawyer or activist organization. Example: The prominent activist is known for organizing this summer’s mass protests.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonactivist
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of activist

First recorded in 1905–10; active + -ist

Explanation

An activist is a person who campaigns for some kind of social change. When you participate in a march protesting the closing of a neighborhood library, you're an activist. Someone who's actively involved in a protest or a political or social cause can be called an activist. Demonstrations, strikes, and sit-ins are all ways that an activist might work toward the change she believes in. The root word of activist is the Latin actus, "a doing, a driving force, or an impulse." Someone who acts on what she believes is an activist.

Example Sentences

HPE on Monday also said it was adding Elliott Investment Management partner Chris Hsu to its board pursuant to a 2025 cooperation agreement with the activist investor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Bianca Jagger, a Nicaraguan human rights activist and former wife of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme that she held the Ortega regime responsible for Rivera's death.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

In the aforementioned poll, minister and housing activist Rae Huang had 9% and former educational technology businessman Adam Miller had 5%.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

Surveillance video captured at a nearby 7-Eleven and posted online by community activist Najee Ali shows Henderson running across Hollywood Boulevard, while the dog bites at his ankles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

I have always been an activist, and my personal chemistry perhaps made me reach more quickly than most ministers in the Nation of Islam that stage of dedication.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• combatant
• demonstrator
• fighter
• protester
• rioter