grassroots

American  

[gras-roots, -roots, grahs-] / ˈgræsˌruts, -ˌrʊts, ˈgrɑs- /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc.; the rank and file.

2. the agricultural and rural areas of a country.

3. the people inhabiting these areas, especially as a political, social, or economic group.

4. the origin or basis of something; the basic or primary concept, rule, part, or the like.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving the common people, especially as contrasted with or separable from an elite.

   a grassroots movement for nuclear disarmament.

Etymology

Origin of grassroots

1910–15 grassroots for def. 1

Example Sentences

From government ministers to village chiefs, no-one has been spared in Xi's campaign against "tigers and flies" - that is, both high-ranking elites and grassroots officials.

From BBC

Delgado insisted, however, that any ban needed to come "from the grassroots, from the lived experiences of parents, different communities, and teachers."

From Barron's

“You’ve got to be a lot more grassroots about how you get the work out there,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

But after he joined a grassroots support group offering emotional support and Thai lessons he returned to agricultural labour, and now dreams of opening a car repair shop.

From Barron's

Instead, Yee is running a grassroots campaign, visiting nearly all 58 California counties and holding as many face-to-face meetings as humanly possible.

From Los Angeles Times