populist

[ pop-yuh-list ]
See synonyms for populist on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a supporter or adherent of populism.

  2. (initial capital letter) a member of the People's party.

adjective
  1. Also pop·u·lis·tic. of, relating to, or characteristic of populism or its adherents.

  2. (initial capital letter)Also Pop·u·lis·tic. of or relating to the People's party.

Origin of populist

1
An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; from Latin popul(us) “people” (cf. people, popular ) + -ist

Other words from populist

  • an·ti-pop·u·list, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use populist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for populist (1 of 2)

populist

/ (ˈpɒpjʊlɪst) /


adjective
  1. appealing to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

noun
  1. a person, esp a politician, who appeals to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

British Dictionary definitions for Populist (2 of 2)

Populist

/ (ˈpɒpjʊlɪst) /


noun
  1. US history a member of the People's Party, formed largely by agrarian interests to contest the 1892 presidential election. The movement gradually dissolved after the 1904 election

adjectiveAlso: Populistic
  1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the People's Party, the Populists, or any individual or movement with similar aims

Derived forms of Populist

  • Populism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012