alt-left

[ awlt-left ]

noun

, Disparaging.

1. a purported political faction espousing an extreme leftist ideology, or one espousing liberal ideology but using extreme, antiestablishment messaging (used primarily by the self-named alt-right movement in order to suggest that the political Left’s pursuit of radical change is commensurate to its own, but also by more mainstream liberals to differentiate their message from those further left.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of alt-left¹

First recorded in 1995–2000; alt- ²( def ) + left ¹( def ); alt-right ( def )

Example Sentences

Reporter: Mr. President, are you putting what you’re calling the alt-left and white supremacists on the same moral plane?

From Slate

"What about the 'alt-left'," Trump asked.

From BBC

After Charlottesville, Trump called antifascists the “alt-left,” a term that did not stick.

From Washington Post

So no matter how much hectoring there is from the right for progressives to denounce the “alt-left,” there’s no reason to believe that antifa will stop gaining ground anytime soon.

From Slate

Trump, at his notorious Aug. 15 press conference, seemed to refer to antifa when he placed part of the blame for Charlottesville on the “alt-left” which he called “very, very violent.”

From Slate