populist

1 of 2

noun

pop·​u·​list ˈpä-pyə-list 

plural populists

1

a

: a supporter of populism : a participant in or advocate of a populist movement

… ran as a fiery populist, criticizing Wall Street banks and bailouts.

—Bill Allison

… a leftist populist won the presidency with widespread support from the country's working class on his promise to put the poor first.

—Kate Linthicum

… faces the added challenge of positioning himself as a conservative populist—a skeptic of corporations inside a party often allied with them …

—Kristina Karisch and Alexis Simendinger

b

: a member of a political party claiming to represent ordinary people against the Establishment (see establishment sense 2a)

especially, often Populist plural Populists : a member of a U.S. political party formed in 1891 primarily to represent agrarian interests and to call for the free coinage of silver and government control of monopolies

2

: a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people

… civic populists like Andrew Carnegie, who built hundreds of libraries in small towns, and Bill Gates, whose foundation ministers to global masses.

—Christopher Glazek

populistic

ˌpä-pyə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

populist

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by populism (see populism sense 1) or political populists (see populist entry 1 sense 1b)

Campaign finance reform is usually sold as a populist means to strengthen the power of "ordinary" citizens against dominant, big-money interests.

—Anthony Corrado

Historically, populist movements use the rhetoric of class solidarity to seize political power so that "the people" can exercise it for their common benefit.

—Mark Lill

… populist reluctance to devote public resources drawn from all to the benefit of a few.

—Carolyn Lougee

… blue-collar, downscale voters who are economically populist and socially moderate.

—Jonathan Chait

specifically, often Populist : of or relating to the Populist (see populist entry 1 sense 1b) political party formed in 1891

American mistrust of big business dates back to the Populist movement at the turn of the century, when the nation's key antitrust laws were adopted.

—Kathryn Harris

… in 1896 ran … on the Populist ticket …

—Alan Blinder

2

: appealing to most people : having qualities that people tend to like and understand : popular

This wine is a blend of traditional Portuguese grapes. … It's as polished as the most aristocratic red Bordeaux, but the price is more populist at $17.

—Matt Kramer

He is a populist gourmet. … More arugula, please. But let me have some fries with that.

—A. O. Scott

Examples of populist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Brown is running as a blue-collar populist, sporting a gravelly voice and often wrinkled suit that emphasize his everyman bona fides. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

The proposal’s passage by a razor-thin margin was a huge victory for outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a populist who has repeatedly clashed with Mexico’s courts during his six years in office, and who insists the changes will make judges more accountable to the people. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024

Adjective

With the rising tide of democratic setbacks, the growing assertiveness of Russia and China, and the electoral gains of illiberal populist parties and candidates in Europe and the United States, many observers feared the authoritarian trend was becoming a juggernaut. —Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

Harris has lost momentum with progressive and working class voters, downplaying plans to ban price gouging, breaking up monopolies and other economic populist messaging that gets to the heart of food system change. —Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin populus people entry 1 + -ist entry 1

Adjective

derivative of populist entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1a