anarchist

noun

an·​ar·​chist ˈa-nər-kist 

-ˌnär-

1

: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power

2

: a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy

especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order

anarchist adjective

or anarchistic

ˌa-nər-ˈki-stik 

-(ˌ)när-

Examples of anarchist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But her happiness lasted less than two miles, the distance between Los Jerónimos to Madrid’s old part Calle Mayor where an anarchist throws a bomb. —John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024

Smee organizes the book by focusing on the experiences of Manet, Degas, and Morisot, especially during the war and the rise of the Commune – a group dominated by anarchists and revolutionaries elected to govern Paris after Napoléon was defeated by Germany in the war. —Terry W. Hartle, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2024

The attack, which resulted in considerable destruction and numerous fatalities, remains unsolved; however, it is widely attributed to the actions of Italian anarchists. —The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2024

William McKinley: Assassinated in 1901 by an anarchist in Buffalo, New York. —Kanishka Singh and Mike Stone, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

anarchy + -ist entry 1; as a proponent of a political theory after French anarchiste.

Note: The use of the French words anarchisme and anarchiste in reference to political theory are associated with Pierre-Joseph proudhon. In his first major work, Qu'est-ce que la propriété? Recherche sur le principe du droit et du gouvernement (Paris, 1840), Proudhon used anarchiste (p.229), but not anarchisme.

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anarchist

noun

an·​ar·​chist ˈan-ər-kəst 

-ˌär-

: a person who believes in anarchism or anarchy or practices anarchy

anarchist adjective

or anarchistic

ˌan-ər-ˈkis-tik 

-(ˌ)är-