ac·tiv·ist
ˈak-ti-vist 
plural activists
: one who advocates or practices activism : a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue
Antiwar activists were protesting in the streets.
an environmental activist
political activists
The conventional wisdom is that young people no longer care enough to stand up for what is important; that the days of activism and protest have faded into the past, the bailiwick of aging hippies and activists.—
The Easton (Massachusetts) Journal
The Easton (Massachusetts) Journal
activistic
adjective
What is news to me … is how much alike were the fears and concerns of both activistic Democrats and skeptical Republicans …
—Nathan Glazer
Nathan Glazer
: advocating or practicing activism : using or supporting strong actions in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue
For the activist groups that will carry the nomination fight to the public, the name of the game is hit early and often.—Richard Lacayo
Richard LacayoPressing demands that are both global and granular, the activist investor has turned himself into one of the food sector's most influential players, affecting how millions of people eat each day.—Julie Jargon
Julie JargonThey plan to become activist shareholders who will protest global-warming resolutions and anything else that undermines corporate profitability.—John J. Miller
John J. Miller
Examples of activist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebCBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
While our activists strongly preferred highly trustworthy allies, non-activists didn’t have a preference between higher and lower levels of trustworthiness.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Amateur activists, who often question the results of the 2020 election, have been using public data to raise issues about people registered at now-defunct homeless shelters or who use business addresses on their voter registrations.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Howard Ray, a community activist, has lived in Austin for almost three decades.
—Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
In Pictures via Getty Images file Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the legislation into law last year, drawing condemnation from LGBTQ activists from around the world.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Woodburn is also a celebrated activist and advocate for people with dwarfism and disabilities within the entertainment industry and at large.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Party activists want to work for the party, not just raise money.
—TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
For more than a decade, neighbors and community activists have been calling for any proposal to include affordable housing as a way to atone for the residents who were kicked out.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
His comments came a day after Disney prevailed in a proxy fight over activist investors including Trian Partners’ Nelson Peltz, who lost his bid to get a pair of seats on the company’s board.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh off his bruising loss in the proxy fight against The Walt Disney Co., the activist investor Nelson Peltz appeared on CNBC to discuss the fight in a conversation with Jim Cramer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
At a shareholder meeting Wednesday, Disney won a proxy battle against a group of activist investors who sought to secure seats on the company’s board of directors.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The activist investor Nelson Peltz and Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, have failed to infiltrate Disney’s board for the second time in two years, losing a tensely fought contest for support of the company’s shareholders as part of a campaign to alter its direction.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The outcome of the months-long and expensive proxy battle between Disney, led by its CEO Bob Iger, and activist investor Nelson Peltz will be revealed Wednesday at the media giant’s annual shareholders meeting.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
In a battle much more reminiscent of Succession than Fantasia, Disney’s kingpin Bob Iger turned back activist investors who attempted to wrest control of the company away from him on Wednesday in a dramatic shareholder vote.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
Kennedy is a lawyer and activist known for fighting for environmental causes and rejecting the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
While our activists strongly preferred highly trustworthy allies, non-activists didn’t have a preference between higher and lower levels of trustworthiness.
—Preeti Vani, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Amateur activists, who often question the results of the 2020 election, have been using public data to raise issues about people registered at now-defunct homeless shelters or who use business addresses on their voter registrations.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
Howard Ray, a community activist, has lived in Austin for almost three decades.
—Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
In Pictures via Getty Images file Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the legislation into law last year, drawing condemnation from LGBTQ activists from around the world.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Woodburn is also a celebrated activist and advocate for people with dwarfism and disabilities within the entertainment industry and at large.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Party activists want to work for the party, not just raise money.
—TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
For more than a decade, neighbors and community activists have been calling for any proposal to include affordable housing as a way to atone for the residents who were kicked out.
—Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Bob Iger can go back to work overhauling Disney now that activist investor Nelson Peltz has been dispatched, and the veteran CEO for one believes that’s a good thing for shareholders.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
His comments came a day after Disney prevailed in a proxy fight over activist investors including Trian Partners’ Nelson Peltz, who lost his bid to get a pair of seats on the company’s board.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh off his bruising loss in the proxy fight against The Walt Disney Co., the activist investor Nelson Peltz appeared on CNBC to discuss the fight in a conversation with Jim Cramer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
At a shareholder meeting Wednesday, Disney won a proxy battle against a group of activist investors who sought to secure seats on the company’s board of directors.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
The activist investor Nelson Peltz and Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, have failed to infiltrate Disney’s board for the second time in two years, losing a tensely fought contest for support of the company’s shareholders as part of a campaign to alter its direction.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The outcome of the months-long and expensive proxy battle between Disney, led by its CEO Bob Iger, and activist investor Nelson Peltz will be revealed Wednesday at the media giant’s annual shareholders meeting.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
In a battle much more reminiscent of Succession than Fantasia, Disney’s kingpin Bob Iger turned back activist investors who attempted to wrest control of the company away from him on Wednesday in a dramatic shareholder vote.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'activist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Activist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/activist. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
activist
noun
ac·tiv·ist
ˈak-ti-vəst
: a person who believes in forceful action (as a mass demonstration) for political purposes
activism
noun
-ˌviz-əm
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