lobbyist
Americannoun
-
lobbyists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lobbyist
Explanation
A lobbyist is someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause. Lobbyists get paid to win favor from politicians. For example, oil companies send lobbyists to Washington to try to make life easier for oil companies. Sometimes they do it by making a great case for their cause, but often it involves fancy dinners and golf outings. If that sounds kind of shady, it is. But remember that women's rights groups and cancer research foundations have lobbyists, too — it's just one way to get your voice heard on the Hill.
Vocabulary lists containing lobbyist
100 Top "SAT" Words
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U.S. Government Lingo
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Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
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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.
See Examples For:
“Weapons are expensive because our standards are high,” said longtime defense lobbyist Jim Dyer.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s former chief of staff; Dana Williamson, a Democratic advisor and former chief of staff to Newsom; and lobbyist Greg Campbell have all pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and are awaiting sentencing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Days before the party, he officially registered as a lobbyist for Kalshi, according to a disclosure form.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Harborne was also a registered named lobbyist at the European Parliament for the Digital Currencies Governance Group, for which Tether was a founder member, for seven months from September 2020.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Also in 1870, Victoria Woodhull moved to Washington, DC, and began working as a lobbyist for women’s suffrage.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
In July, as scrutiny of the outbreak intensified, company executives and lobbyists met privately with the White House.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
In addition, Carvalho received “gifts from contractors and lobbyists beyond the limits permitted by law,” the letter alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Creditor lobbyists complain that debtors use bankruptcy to renege on their obligations, while consumer groups blame exploitative lending practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Under current rules, European commissioners and their staff, senior officials and EU lawmakers pushing through legislation through parliament must publish information about their meetings with lobbyists.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
He overhauled ethics rules governing White House employees’ interactions with lobbyists and, most important, managed to push a major economic stimulus bill through Congress, even though not a single House Republican voted in its favor.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
