centrist
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of centrist
From the French word centriste, dating back to 1870–75; see center, -ist
Explanation
A centrist is someone who has very moderate political views. Most centrists are against any big political shifts — either to the left or to the right. Some politicians like to describe themselves as centrists because it makes them sound very reasonable and balanced. In reality, centrists are rare in politics, since people tend to have strong opinions about issues including taxes, the size of government, and inequality. Centrist comes from the French centriste, ultimately from the Latin centrum, "center."
Vocabulary lists containing centrist
Red, White & Royal Blue
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Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023) Tribute List
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Sandra Day O'Connor (1930–2023) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the interest of full disclosure, I come at this issue very much as an independent and a centrist.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Before parliamentary elections that year, the outgoing centrist majority in the chamber appointed five judges to the tribunal.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
But there are others, like Jim Kessler with Third Way, a centrist think tank, who think Michigan shouldn't be the focus.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
His political platform remains staunchly centrist, and the image isn’t enough to override the lack of message.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Former Communists dominated the government until 1996, when they were swept from power by a fractious coalition of centrist parties.
From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
