activist

American  

[ak-tuh-vist] / ˈæk tə vɪst /

noun

• activists
  plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• activists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of activist

First recorded in 1905–10; active + -ist

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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

See Examples For:

activist activists

Wong's friends told AFP earlier this year that the activist remained "energetic" while in detention by working out, playing the guitar and studying university courses.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

The company faced an activist investor this past spring pushing for the spinoff or shutdown of the smartglasses work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Jane Demian, an Eagle Rock retiree and longtime activist and volunteer, said she would have voted for Bass if the opponent were Pratt, but Raman will get her vote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

A similar story has unfolded across Nepal's western border in India's Uttarakhand state, where maximum tourism limits and environmental regulations have been bypassed in the name of economic growth, claims activist Anoop Nautiyal.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

She missed her activist friends and the cultural stimulation of the city.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

In 2022, activists dropped 18 boulders off the coast of Cornwall.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Academics and civil society activists at COP17 have already issued a joint statement of concern at the state of negotiations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Often sporting a jaunt red beret, she locked arms with activists one-quarter her age.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

By the early hours of Wednesday morning, party activists, Likud lawmakers and senior ministers began pouring into the convention center ahead of Netanyahu’s speech.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Recounted in numberless articles and books, the Maya collapse has become an ecological parable for green activists; along with Pleistocene overkill, it is a favorite cautionary tale about surpassing the limits of Nature.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

• combatant
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