populist
noun
a supporter or adherent of populism.
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populist
American
[pop-yuh-list]
/ ˈpɒp jə lɪst /
noun
-
populists
plural
-
a supporter or adherent of populism.
-
(initial capital letter) a member of the People's party.
adjective
-
Also populistic. of, relating to, or characteristic of populism or its adherents.
-
(initial capital letter) Also Populistic. of or relating to the People's party.
Populist
1
British
/ ˈpɒpjʊlɪst /
noun
adjective
populist
2
British
/ ˈpɒpjʊlɪst /
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of populist
An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; from Latin popul(us) “people” ( cf. people, popular) + -ist
Explanation
Use the noun populist to describe a person — especially a politician or activist — who works to give regular working people a voice in their government. In politics, the word populist refers to someone who puts ordinary people's rights above those of the wealthy and powerful. It is basically a synonym of democrat, which when spelled with a lower-case d is simply a person who believes in democratic principles of rule by the people, freedom, and equality. The root of populist is the Latin word for "people," populus.
Vocabulary lists containing populist
We the People: Popul
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Unit 1, Small-Group Learning
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Content Summary 6.7: Impact of Contemporary Globalization
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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:
Even without a populist upsurge, that trend has its limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Talarico, a former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, has courted voters with a populist economic pitch blended with an overlay of Christian messaging to “love thy neighbor.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Serbia's long-time populist President Aleksandar Vucic resigned Sunday to run for prime minister in October snap elections after nearly two years of student-led protests that had been pressing for just such a poll.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Lowe wasn’t an obvious first choice to lead a populist rescue of the British establishment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Indeed, it is possible to date the chasm that was to develop between the populist mainstream and the classical avant-garde in music to this place and time.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Evangelical leaders “helped to organize the Populist revolt of the 1880s and 1890s” and others “urged Texans to see the sins of our economic system,” he said.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Populist Peter Pellegrini has been elected president of Slovakia, succeeding the liberal Zuzana Caputova.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2024
Populist Javier Milei, a libertarian economist and self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” won a presidential runoff election on Sunday with 55.7% of the vote.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2023
The Great Commoner’s loss led to the Populist Party’s decline of power and prominence.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2023
With the rise of the Populist Party in 1892, farmers and laborers formed the first mass multiracial coalition in the country’s history.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Macron, who attended the country’s top schools, “has become the embodiment of everything populists hate,” said Olivier Costa, a research professor at the Paris-based Sciences Po university and France’s National Center for Scientific Research.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
If the cinema had a dozen more ambitious populists like Coogler, it would be in tip-top health.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025
These shamanistic masks have long been a mainstay of populists.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2025
In the first round, Torres’ competition came mostly from other conservative populists.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 12, 2023
Thus we see the growth of labour organisations, and the spread of populists and socialists, who demand new rights and a greater share in the products of labour.
From Following the Color Line an account of Negro citizenship in the American democracy by David Grayson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
