leftist

Or Left·ist

[lef-tist]

noun

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

adjective

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

leftist

/ ˈlɛftɪst /

adjective

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

noun

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

leftist

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

Other Word Forms

• leftism noun
• antileftist adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of leftist¹

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

Example Sentences

The boy died after three months in captivity, having been taken from his school in the Amazon by guerrillas and other criminal groups fighting Colombia's leftist government.

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In the aftermath of the protests, Mexico’s leftist President Claudia Sheinbaum accused right-wing opponents of hijacking the demonstration to provoke unrest and smear her government.

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But Caracas claims it is really a ploy to overthrow its leftist president Maduro, who the United States considers an illegitimate leader and a drug lord -- a charge that he denies.

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The leftist New Democratic Party, which has seven MPs, often has backed minority Liberal governments, but had not yet announced at midday Sunday how it would vote.

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With other leftist candidates failing to garner support, Jara is expected to lose to Kast in next month’s runoff, polls show.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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• subversive