communist

American  

[kom-yuh-nist] / ˈkɒm jə nɪst /

noun

communists plural

1. (initial capital letter) a member of the Communist Party or movement.

2. an advocate of communism.

3. a person who is regarded as supporting politically leftist or subversive causes.

4. (usually initial capital letter) a Communard.

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adjective

1. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Communist Party or to Communism.

2. pertaining to communists or communism.

communist British  

/ ˈkɒmjʊnɪst /

noun

1. a supporter of any form of communism

2. (often capital) a supporter of Communism or a Communist movement or state

3. (often capital) a member of a Communist party

4. (often capital) any person holding left-wing views, esp when considered subversive

5. a person who practises communal living; communalist

6. another name for Communard

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adjective

1. of, characterized by, favouring, or relating to communism; communistic

communist Cultural  

1. A supporter of communism.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticommunist
  noun
• anticommunistic
  adjective
• anticommunistical
  adjective
• communistic
  adjective
• communistical
  adjective
• procommunist
  adjective
• anticommunistically
  adverb
• communistically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• communists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of communist

From the French word communiste, dating back to 1835–45. See common, -ist

Explanation

Communism is a political doctrine that is an extreme form of Socialism, and anyone belonging to this particular political party is called a communist. A handful of countries call themselves communist, including China, Cuba, and North Korea — though many communists would disagree. We can find the roots of the word communist in the Latin communis, meaning "common" or "shared." These meanings certainly apply to the ideal version of Communism, which means that everyone is equal, and no one has more than anyone else. It was first used in English as both a noun and an adjective in 1841, taken from the French communiste. In the mid-20th Century, division between the U.S. and its allies and those that were Communist formed what became the “Cold War.”

Example Sentences

It's driven by low birth rates within an already depleted population in regions that, during the communist era, had built up an extensive network of childcare settings.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

In Germany, a democratic revolution toppled the monarchy in 1918, bringing into existence the fragile Weimar Republic, which communists in Moscow hoped would soon succumb to a communist revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

The very emergence of the Soviet communist superpower came about thanks to an unexpected German-Russian interaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Cuba's communist president has cited China and Vietnam as models for a historic shift towards a market economy that was hurriedly pushed through last week to try to end a severe crisis.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

He met Nina Petrovna Kukharchuk, a devoted communist who lectured miners on the basics of communist philosophy.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin