left wing

noun

plural left wings
1
: the leftist division of a group (such as a political party) : the segment of a group (such as a political party) that calls for greater adherence to liberalism (see liberalism sense 2a) or progressivism (see progressivism sense 1)
the left wing of the Democratic Party
2
: political parties and individuals who support or promote political liberalism or progressivism
sometimes, specifically : such parties and individuals who are deeply opposed to capitalism
left-wing adjective
left-wing politics
left-winger noun
plural left-wingers
the party's left-wingers

Examples of left wing in a Sentence

His nomination is supported by the party's left wing but opposed by the right wing. the left wing has lost considerable influence in the party, which is now aggressively courting political moderates
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Biden team spent US taxpayer money to support left wing programs and candidates around the world. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025 The surprise has been the rise of the left wing party, Die Linke (to whom voters likely shifted from the BSW party). Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 From a Tottenham perspective, the first warning sign came within 10 minutes when Doku charged down Porro on the left wing, throwing the former City man — Porro was contracted to City from 2019 to 2022 but never represented the first team — to the ground before the attack collapsed. Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025 Marner left it for Sam Bennett on the left wing and the Panther moved in alone, beating Hellebuyck high to the short side at 14:00. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for left wing

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of left wing was in 1844

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Cite this Entry

“Left wing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/left%20wing. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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