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• left wing
  left wing

  noun

  members of a liberal or radical political party, or those favoring extensive political reform.
• left-wing
  left-wing

  A descriptive term for liberal, radical, or revolutionary political views, particularly the view that there are unacceptable social inequalities in the present order of society. Communists and socialists, as well as moderate liberals, come under the term left-wing. Left-wing groups are sometimes known collectively as the Left. (Compare right-wing.)

left wing

American  

noun

• left wings
  plural

1. members of a liberal or radical political party, or those favoring extensive political reform.

2. such a party or a group of such parties.

3. the part of a political or social organization advocating a liberal or radical position.

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left wing British  

noun

1. (often capital) the leftist faction of an assembly, party, group, etc; the radical or progressive wing

2. the units of an army situated on the left of a battle position

3. sport

   1. the left-hand side of the field of play from the point of view of either team facing its opponents' goal

   2. a player positioned in this area in certain games

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adjective

1. of, belonging to, or relating to the political left wing

left-wing ¹ Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for liberal, radical, or revolutionary political views, particularly the view that there are unacceptable social inequalities in the present order of society. Communists and socialists, as well as moderate liberals, come under the term left-wing. Left-wing groups are sometimes known collectively as the Left. (Compare right-wing.)

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left-wing ² Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for an individual or a political faction that advocates liberal, radical, or even revolutionary policies, usually in favor of overcoming social inequalities. In the United States, left-wing groups generally support federal social welfare programs designed to open opportunities to all citizens. (Compare right-wing.)

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left wing Idioms  

1. The liberal or radical faction of a political group, as in Many consider him a leader of the Democratic Party's left wing. This expression originated in the seating practice of European legislatures, whereby those holding liberal views were assigned to the left side of the house. [First half of 1800s]

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Discover More

Although both major political parties in the United States have left-wing factions, left-wing policies are usually associated with the Democratic party.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• left-winger
  noun
• left-wing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• left wings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of left wing

First recorded in 1700–10

Compare meaning

How does left-wing compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• left wing vs. right wing

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

left wing left-wing

Barcola is right footed but prefers to play on the left wing and his likely arrival adds further doubt around Cody Gakpo's future at Anfield.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Ocasio-Cortez, widely known by her initials AOC, burst onto the national political scene with an upset congressional victory in 2018 and rapidly became a leading voice of the Democratic Party's left wing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Jovic credits playing left wing in local soccer leagues from about ages 6 to 13 for her exceptional, low-to-the-ground footwork.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

But Quinones, last season's Saudi Pro League golden boot winner, has been making waves on the left wing - and could cause problems in England's highly debated right-back position in the high Mexican altitute.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

A terrible defeat, but not quite a complete one, for the left wing of the Army of the Cumberland had held firm under the command of a general named George Thomas.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

A man suspected of leading a dissident faction of a left-wing rebel group has been killed in a military operation in central Colombia, officials say.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Thus began a short, tumultuous career in left-wing politics, chronicled in “Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Operative,” published next week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

His pick for finance minister, still unannounced, may well determine how left-wing or centrist his economic agenda is.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

“I gather that everyone here is 100% certain Graham Platner is a Nazi antisemite,” the left-wing journalist Ryan Grim wrote on Bluesky in early March.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

For Hoover, that included getting his agents—often called G-men—to monitor left-wing activists.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• leftist
• liberal