New Left

American  

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a radical leftist political movement active especially during the 1960s and 1970s, composed largely of college students and young intellectuals whose goals included racial equality, de-escalation of the arms race, nonintervention in foreign affairs, and other major changes in the political, economic, social, and educational systems.

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New Left British  

noun

1. a loose grouping of left-wing radicals, esp among students, that arose in many countries after 1960

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New Left Cultural  

1. A radical movement of the 1960s and 1970s. New Leftists opposed the military-industrial complex and involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War; they urged more public attention to conditions of black people and the poor. New Leftists were less theoretical than communists and generally did not admire the Soviet Union. But many of them were interested in Maoism, and they spoke strongly for “participatory democracy.” (See sit-ins.)

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Other Word Forms

• New Leftist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of New Left

First recorded in 1960; phrase apparently introduced by U.S. sociologist C. Wright Mills (1916–62)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

New Left

The program also saw federal law enforcement target anti-war protesters, civil rights activists, feminist groups, New Left organizations and even some rightist organizations, like the Ku Klux Klan.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2025

The centre-right Third Way took third place with 14.40% and the New Left had 8.61% of the vote.

From Reuters ● Oct. 17, 2023

His Civic Coalition will look to form a government with the centre-right Third Way, which saw a surge in support with around 14.4% of the vote, and the New Left on around 8.5%.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2023

After graduating he lived in Britain for several years, serving as managing editor of New Left Review, a Marxist journal.

From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2022

The focus of the youth movement, and a radical philosophical movement called the New Left associated with it, was on the life of individuals in the midst of prosperity.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020