lobbyist
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lobbyist
Explanation
A lobbyist is someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause. Lobbyists get paid to win favor from politicians. For example, oil companies send lobbyists to Washington to try to make life easier for oil companies. Sometimes they do it by making a great case for their cause, but often it involves fancy dinners and golf outings. If that sounds kind of shady, it is. But remember that women's rights groups and cancer research foundations have lobbyists, too — it's just one way to get your voice heard on the Hill.
Vocabulary lists containing lobbyist
100 Top "SAT" Words
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U.S. Government Lingo
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Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
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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:
"I think this is still a very big, great experiment and everybody's still trying to figure out what that means to them," the lobbyist told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Crucially, the law also extends to any US contractor that shares a lobbyist or law firm with a blacklisted entity.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
There were rock stars, politicians, authors and community advocates; here was Toby Keith and conservative tax reform lobbyist Grover Norquist, there was street artist Shepard Fairey and Big Bird.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
They hired a lobbyist and started wooing wealthy and powerful people around Nashville for support.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
One was a lawyer and lobbyist from the state capital of Columbus.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Trade lawyers, lobbyists and consultants who bill by the hour have had their work extended and made more expensive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
UK law requires ministers to report meetings with lobbyists every three months.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Rather than blaming the president, she turned her anger toward tech companies and their lobbyists.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
They have more lobbyists than our representatives have staff, but we are building a coalition to fight them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
There were journalists and lobbyists, and also homeless people just looking to get out of the heat.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
