radical left

noun

1. the faction representing extreme left-wing political views, often Marxist or Maoist in ideology.

Word History and Origins

Origin of radical left¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

In response to a request for comment from Salon, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said: “The Radical Left has shut down the government,” and that it was unable to respond at this time.

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The Agriculture Department also responded with an apparent Hatch Act violation, saying: “Due to staff furloughs resulting from the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, the typical monitoring of this press inbox may be impacted.”

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That does not mean the Socialists would try to bring down a new government, which the hard-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen and radical left would be likely to try.

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The leaders who have been calling on Macron to resign for months are on the hard right and radical left.

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Olivier Faure's centre-left Socialists were allied to the radical left during the last elections but have been talking to Lecornu on condition that he forms a left-wing government.

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When To Use

What does radical left mean?

Radical left is a term that refers collectively to people who hold left-wing political views that are considered extreme, such as supporting or working to establish communism, Marxism, Maoism, socialism, anarchism, or other forms of anticapitalism. The radical left is sometimes called the far left.The term does not refer to any official political party or coalition of people, and it can encompass a broad range of political beliefs. Whether someone is considered a member of the radical left depends on who’s using the term and for what purpose.The word left is used in politics to refer to liberal or left-wing political views and collectively to the people who hold such views. Members of the left wing are generally thought to be those who support measures of progressive political reform, especially to address what they see as widespread social inequality, such as through the institution of federal social welfare programs.Read our article to learn more about why left means liberal and right means conservative!In the term radical left, the word radical is used to mean extreme in the sense of holding extreme political views. Members of the radical left are thought to support or actively work for more extreme reforms or even revolution to fundamentally change or overthrow the existing political and economic systems.Someone considered a member of the radical left can be called a radical leftist. The word leftist is often used by itself to mean the same thing—someone with more extreme political beliefs than someone considered a liberal (though the terms leftist and liberal are often used interchangeably). It’s more likely for someone to apply the label leftist to themselves than radical leftist.That’s because radical left and radical leftist are often used in a disparaging way by those with right-wing views to criticize members of the left wing and their positions. The terms are especially used in this way to exaggerate such views by making them seem more extreme or dangerous.Still, some people identify as members of the radical left or as radical leftists, especially as a way to highlight their opposition to right-wing politics.Radical left can also be used as an adjective to refer to things related to this group, as in radical left ideology.

What about the radical right?

On the opposite side of the political spectrum from the radical left is the radical right, which is more commonly called the far right. These terms refer collectively to people who hold extreme right-wing political views, such as supporting authoritarianism, fascism, or white supremacy. Members of the right or right wing are those who are considered conservative—meaning they oppose widespread change or reform and support preserving existing conditions and institutions or restoring traditional ones. Members of the right wing typically support free enterprise and oppose strong regulation and federal involvement in promoting social welfare. Someone considered a member of the radical right may be called an ultraconservative, or, more pejoratively, an extreme right-winger.The term radical left is used more commonly than radical right.Example: Trying to portray his opponent’s views as extreme, the senator dismissed her as a member of the radical left. She responded by saying that if being a radical leftist means you want people to have equal human rights, then she must be one.