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Synonyms

leftist

American  
[lef-tist] / ˈlɛf tɪst /
Or Leftist

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 British  
/ ˈlɛftɪst /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
leftist Cultural  

  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

  • antileftist adjective
  • leftism noun

Etymology

Origin of leftist

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

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"You had wolves guarding the sheep," Konstantinos Barkas, parliament speaker for the leftist Syriza party, told lawmakers.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Beyond the top three, leftist Rae Huang notched support from 8% of those polled, while tech entrepreneur Adam Miller drew 6%.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

The economy grew 2.5 percent in what was the final year of leftist president Gabriel Boric's tenure, just outstripping a bank forecast of 2.3 percent.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

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 • Mar. 11, 2026

He was a leftist leader, and he was afire with the most uncontrollable passion: justice.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.