opportunism

[op-er-too-niz-uh m, -tyoo-]

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noun

the policy or practice, as in politics, business, or one's personal affairs, of adapting actions, decisions, etc., to expediency or effectiveness regardless of the sacrifice of ethical principles.

action or judgment in accordance with this policy.

Nearby words

Origin of opportunism

1865–70; < Italian opportunismo, equivalent to opportun(o) (< Latin opportūnus; see opportune) + -ismo -ism

Related formsop·por·tun·ist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for opportunism

Where Rand Paul led, other Republicans followed: some out of conviction, some out of opportunism, and some out of fear.
Why You Shouldn't #StandWithRand|David Frum|March 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There have been some truly disgusting displays of opportunism out there.
Conservatives Push Back Against Giffords Coverage|Howard Kurtz|January 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
So those seeking to turn their opportunism into actual political power should beware their own hubris.
How to Beat the Demagogues|Michael Signer|March 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Rather, the most memorable images are often the result of opportunism and the projection powers of one Barack Obama.
Inside the Obama Family PR Machine|Richard Wolffe|April 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Is not this the opportunism of both a Browning and a Gladstone?
Browning and His Century|Helen Archibald Clarke
They blamed his Opportunism and said that he wanted power without responsibility.
A History of the Third French Republic|C. H. C. Wright
But unless they are realized in a high degree, wage settlement will continue to be a matter of force and opportunism.
The Settlement of Wage Disputes|Herbert Feis
No efforts of opportunism will save them from the guillotine sche which awaits them.
The Religious Persecution in France 1900-1906|Jane Milliken Napier Brodhead
Now Opportunism is essentially benevolent adventure and the doing of first-hand things.
New Worlds For Old|Herbert George Wells