lobbyist

noun

lob·​by·​ist ˈlä-bē-ist 

plural lobbyists

: one who conducts activities aimed at influencing or swaying public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation : a person engaged in lobbying public officials

The new rule says that if you were a registered lobbyist in the past two years, you can't work for the administration on any issue you touched. After you leave government, you can't lobby the administration at all.

—Jacob Weisberg

Because so many lobbyists have past experience on Capitol Hill, they usually have personal ties both to members of congress and to their key staffers, who vet and prioritize the earmark requests.

—Ken Silverstein

Examples of lobbyist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hotels in downtown Lansing surrounded the Capitol and in addition to lawmakers hosted staffers, reporters and lobbyists, Marvin said. —Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 2024

The lobbyist on the account is Matt Bravo, former director of floor operations for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). —Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024

The annual charity game, played at the Capitals’ practice facility in Arlington, VA, sees federal lawmakers, congressional staff and administration officials face off against an array of lobbyists, and has raised over $1 million since its inception. —Carol Schram, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Head cited his return to his full-time job as a lobbyist and attorney at Krieg Devault when informing the central committee members of his decision over the weekend. —Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above