socialist

[soh-shuh-list]

noun

1. an advocate or supporter of socialism.

2. (initial capital letter),  a member of the U.S. Socialist party.

adjective

1. socialistic.

socialist

/ ˈsəʊʃəlɪst /

noun

1. a supporter or advocate of socialism or any party promoting socialism ( socialist party )

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, implementing, or relating to socialism

2. (sometimes capital) of, characteristic of, or relating to socialists or a socialist party

Other Word Forms

• nonsocialist noun
• presocialist noun
• semisocialist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of socialist¹

First recorded in 1825–35; social + -ist

Example Sentences

At the conference, Conservatives have branded Reform UK "socialist" over their promises to increase spending and nationalise industries.

From BBC

At an event on Sunday evening, Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly branded Farage a "socialist" - the worst insult in the Tory lexicon.

From BBC

“They can try to call me a socialist like it’s an insult,” Fateh said.

From Salon

"Major change is welcome and necessary, but beware of those who claim the answer to destroy the very system we built together over generations," he said without naming Mamdani, a self-described socialist.

From BBC

He quickly rose to become a top organizer and leader in the party’s perpetual street fighting with political opponents, especially socialists and communists.

From Salon

Related Words

• left-winger www.thesaurus.com
• leftist 
• liberal 
• progressive 
• radical 

When To Use

What does socialist mean?

A socialist is someone who practices or supports socialism, which is an ideology or system based on the collective, public ownership and control of the resources used to make and distribute goods or provide services. This involves ownership of such things not by private individuals but by the public (the community as a whole), often in the form of a centralized government.The things needed to make goods or offer services—the raw materials, tools, factories, and labor—are known as the means of production. Under socialism, the means of production are owned collectively, rather than by private enterprises.The word socialist can also be used as an adjective to describe things involving socialism or that operate under socialism, such as countries, economies, or programs.Socialism is both a social and an economic theory, with many varying interpretations as to what it truly entails. In general, socialism values people working together to meet individuals’ needs. It’s based on the belief that everyone who helps create goods or services should have a share in them. To achieve that, socialism calls for the government to own the raw materials used to make goods, such as wood and metals, and everything you need to make things out of them, including machinery and factories. Some versions of the ideology are based on the belief that the government should also set all purchase prices and workers’ wages to ensure that everyone’s wealth stays equal. In this version of socialism, doctors, bakers, clerks, teachers, and accountants would all be paid the same.Many socialists think that essential services—such as healthcare, education, and even food—should be provided to the citizens by the government. The idea is that since community members worked together to produce those goods and services, everyone should have equal access to them.There are many common misconceptions related to socialism. One is that a nation cannot be both socialist and democratic at the same time, yet many socialists agree with the idea of democracy.Another common misconception is that there is no private property in a socialist society. But many people who consider themselves socialists are concerned only with property that has to do with production. In a society based on socialism, you could theoretically still have iPhones, jeans, and cars. The difference would be that the government would own everything required to make them. Abolishing private property is actually a part of communism, an ideology that is often confused with socialism. In Marxist theory, socialism is sometimes considered a middle stage in the transition from capitalism to communism.