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

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Wednesday to strengthen and modernise the military and to stamp out corruption within the ruling Communist Party.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

"So much history has been destroyed here in Germany, both Communist history and Nazi history. We can't keep doing that."

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

In Gdansk, she also met Poland's ex-president Lech Walesa, who led the 1980s Solidarity movement that provoked the downfall of the Communist regime in Warsaw.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

More than 160 of the 940-plus punished officials—or over one in six—were cited for engaging in superstitious activities and beliefs, which the officially atheist Communist Party prohibits for its members.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

In 1937, when Lilya was sixteen, her father, Vladimir Litvyak, was arrested, for crimes he’d supposedly committed against the Communist Party.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein