opportunistic
[ op-er-too-nis-tik, -tyoo- ]
/ ˌɒp ər tuˈnɪs tɪk, -tyu- /
Save This Word!
adjective
adhering to a policy of opportunism; practicing opportunism.
Pathology.
- (of a microorganism) causing disease only under certain conditions, as when a person's immune system is impaired.
- (of a disease or infection) caused by such an organism: Pneumocystis pneumonia is an opportunistic disease that often strikes victims of AIDS.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of opportunistic
First recorded in 1890–95; opportunist + -ic
OTHER WORDS FROM opportunistic
op·por·tun·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·op·por·tun·is·tic, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH opportunistic
opportune, opportunisticDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use opportunistic in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for opportunistic
opportunistic
/ (ˌɒpətjʊˈnɪstɪk) /
adjective
of or characterized by opportunism
med (of an infection) caused by any microorganism that is harmless to a healthy person but debilitates a person whose immune system has been weakened by disease or drug treatment
Derived forms of opportunistic
opportunistically, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for opportunistic
opportunistic
[ ŏp′ər-tōō-nĭs′tĭk ]
adj.
Of or relating to an organism capable of causing disease only in a host whose resistance is lowered.
Of or relating to a disease caused by an opportunistic organism.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.