commie
1 Americannoun
plural
commiesnoun
noun
Sensitive Note
The shortened and informal term commie has derogatory connotations, whereas the full form communist is merely descriptive. Both terms refer primarily to an advocate of communism, but have been more widely applied to an enemy, a foreigner, or a person regarded as subversive.
Etymology
Origin of commie1
First recorded in 1935–40; comm(unist) + -ie
Origin of commie2
1920–25; comm(on marble) + -ie
Explanation
Commie is derogatory slang for communist. You shouldn't call someone a commie unless you want to start a fight. A commie is a communist, a person who favors the eventual creation of a classless society in which goods are equally shared between all citizens. This word was most common in the 1950s, during the strongly anti-communist era of the US. Being called a commie back then might result in losing a job or being ostracized by friends. Today, you're much less likely to hear the word commie, which has the same root as communism, the French communisme, from the Old French comun, "common, free, open, or public."
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 comic books, the Red Guardian was the national hero of the Soviet Union, a kind of commie Captain America.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2021
He used to call me his amigo Yankee, and I always called him my amigo commie.
From National Geographic • Nov. 1, 2015
Or do you think Orwell was a commie?
From Economist • Nov. 19, 2013
Having outgrown its quaint former home at Butlin's in Minehead, the Bloc festival is about to weigh anchor in London's Docklands, trailing with it 2,500 tonnes of commie steel.
From The Guardian • Jun. 29, 2012
Another former commie is the Black Widow, who debuted as a Soviet agent in 1964, but later defected to the Western intelligence/black ops agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
From Seattle Times • May 4, 2010
Definitions 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.
