Populist

Quick meaning: Populist is a noun meaning A person who advocates populism (a movement against ruling elites who are presumed not to act in the interests of the ordinary citizen).

Meaning

A person who advocates populism (a movement against ruling elites who are presumed not to act in the interests of the ordinary citizen).

More Meanings

1. A politician who advocates specific policies just because they are popular.
2. A person who advocates democratic principles.
3. Democratic.
4. (of a political policy) Put forward just because it would be popular.
5. Of or pertaining to populism.

Example Sentences

On top of all that, rightwing populists and leftwing progressives have made significant inroads into western politics.

Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home.

So as to not throw too much of the blame on American populists, the right in other Western countries is also guilty of adopting this crass and anti-intellectual brand of politics.

On the right, this can look like gleeful cruelty, sadistic memes, posts that “own the libs” or sensationalized claims about fraud and conspiracy. On the left, it could be social justice messaging, online identity politics or populist economic proposals to, say, tax the rich.

Word Forms

• populists

Synonyms for populist

Depending on context, synonyms include democrat.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include democrat, demagogic, popular, rabble-rousing, popularist, anti-establishment.

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