leftist

American  

[lef-tist] / ˈlɛf tɪst /

Or Leftist

noun

1. a member of the political Left or a person sympathetic to its views.

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adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or advocated by the political Left.

leftist British  

/ ˈlɛftɪst /

adjective

1. of, tending towards, or relating to the political left or its principles

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noun

1. a person who supports or belongs to the political left

leftist Cultural  

1. One who holds a left-wing viewpoint; someone who seeks radical social and economic change in the direction of greater equality.

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Other Word Forms

• antileftist adjective
• leftism noun

Etymology

Origin of leftist

First recorded in 1920–25; left ¹ + -ist

Compare meaning

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

• leftist vs. rightist

Example Sentences

In France, a loose union of leftist parties won a surprise first-place finish in France’s snap legislative elections in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal

Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia's first leftist president, is barred by the constitution from running again.

From Barron's

Colombia is also trying to emerge from 50 years of fighting spawned by a complex blend of leftist rebels, paramilitaries and drug lords.

From Barron's

He was alluding to the 1992 accord that ended the war between a US-backed right-wing government and leftist guerrillas supported by Cuba.

From Barron's

Chilean President Gabriel Boric, a leftist who has called Cuba a dictatorship, said his government would also provide aid to Cuba through Unicef.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agitator
• anarchist
• extremist
• fanatic
• firebrand
• insurgent
• militant
• progressive
• rebel
• reformer
• renegade
• revolutionary
• rioter
• subversive