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

The 67-year-old construction magnate and former mayor of the Honduran capital is running in a tight three-way race gainst a leftist lawyer and a fellow right-wing TV host in the Sunday vote.

From Barron's

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.

From Barron's

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Barron's

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.

From Barron's

Related Words

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