centrist

or Cen·trist

[sen-trist]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR centrist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(especially in continental Europe) a member of a political party of the Center; moderate.

adjective

of or relating to centrists or to their political views; middle-of-the-road.

Origin of centrist

From the French word centriste, dating back to 1870–75. See center, -ist

Related formscen·trism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for centrism

center, centrism, interface, midway

Examples from the Web for centrism

Contemporary Examples of centrism

The plain fact of the matter is centrism works nowhere in America.
Reality Check: There Are No Swing Voters
Goldie Taylor
November 13, 2014
Then came accusations of centrism—now a dirty word in a party with an energized left flank.
How the Left Cut Down a Democratic Frontrunner
David Freedlander
May 12, 2014
With a Hillary Clinton candidacy more likely than not, centrism and triagulation will be the order of the day.
Hillary Clinton Vs. the GOP Boys’ Club: Fighting for the Female Vote
Lloyd Green
October 21, 2013
Although few would have predicted it in 1992, Hillary has become the preeminent symbol of Democratic centrism.
Hillary Clinton’s Big Challenges in 2016 Will Come From the Left
Peter Beinart
August 6, 2013
If Hillary represents the restoration, she would be bringing back what was once regarded as a brand of Democratic centrism.
The Hillary Fantasy
Howard Kurtz
November 21, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for centrism

centrist

noun

a person holding moderate political views

Derived Formscentrism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for centrism

1935, from centre + -ism (also see centrist).

centrist

1872, from French centriste, from centre (see center (n.)). Originally in English with reference to French politics; general application to other political situations is from 1890.

Where M. St. Hilaire is seen to most advantage, however, is when quietly nursing one of that weak-kneed congregation who sit in the middle of the House, and call themselves "Centrists." A French Centrist is--exceptis eoccipiendis--a man who has never been able to make up his mind, nor is likely to. ["Men of the Third Republic," London, 1873]