Marxist

American  

[mahrk-sist] / ˈmɑrk sɪst /

noun

1. an adherent of Karl Marx or his theories.

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adjective

1. of Karl Marx or his theories.

Marxist British  

/ ˈmɑːksɪst /

noun

1. a follower of Marxism

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adjective

1. (of an economic or political theory) analogous to or derived from the doctrines of Karl Marx

2. of or relating to Marx, Marxism, or Marxists and their theories

Other Word Forms

• non-Marxist adjective

Etymology

Origin of Marxist

First recorded in 1885–90; Marx + -ist

Example Sentences

Your humble correspondent cannot claim to be a communist sympathizer, but shouldn’t we all spare a thought for anyone who has to sit through endless hours of Marxist speeches without so much as a cocktail?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Key figures vying for power include a Marxist former prime minister seeking a return to office, a rapper-turned-mayor bidding for the youth vote, and the newly elected leader of the powerful Nepali Congress party.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

That was not, in Hobsbawm’s analysis, a straight-up clash between good and evil or enlightenment and darkness; he was a non-dogmatic Marxist, always attuned to the nuanced dialectical relationship between historical forces.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

We talked over Zoom about working-class love stories, doing voice-over work, acting in Marxist films and being Capricorns.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

During the years 1919-20 Antonio Gramsci, the Italian Marxist, adopted as his own the maxim ‘pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton