oppo

noun

op·​po ˈä-(ˌ)pō 

: damaging information about a political candidate that is gathered and used or made public usually by an opponent's camp

"I mean, everybody has oppo on their opponents, but nobody admits it."

—Ryan Grim

The GOP sure has the goods on Erica McAdoo. On Thursday, NC House Republicans released a 35-page report—known as "oppo" to political insiders and observers—on the NC House 63 candidate from Alamance County.

—The Charlotte Observer

… the crucial revelation here is that when you make a political consultant your senior policy adviser, spin supplants substance, oppo research rules and winning the news cycle becomes more important than winning the war.

—Joe Klein

Dirty politics has been around since Thomas Jefferson's oppo researchers went after Alexander Hamilton's mistress in 1800, but there's more money in it these days.

—Stephanie Mencimer

"… put out a series of talking points that looked like an oppo dump that you'd put out on a political opponent …"

—Jeremy Diamond

Word History

Etymology

shortened from opposition research, with assimilation to -o entry 1

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing oppo

• oppo dump
• oppo research
• oppo researchers