careerist

[ kuh-reer-ist ]

noun

1. a person who follows a career.
2. a person who pursues a policy or attitude of careerism.

careerist

/ kəˈrɪərɪst /

noun

1. a person who values success in his career above all else and seeks to advance it by any possible means

Derived Forms

• caˈreerism, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of careerist¹

First recorded in 1905–10; career + -ist

Example Sentences

“Didion & Babitz,” available Nov. 12, probes this Janus-like contrast until a sharp picture forms of Didion as the ambitious careerist and Babitz as her muse, who subsequently becomes a writer herself.

From Los Angeles Times

“Bruen not only widened partisan divides but also gave license to judges to pursue careerist goals,” the professors wrote.

From Slate

Hawk, who leans left in his political alliances, is a careerist shark.

From Los Angeles Times

“I don’t know if it’s the best career path, but we always looked at it as the path of an artist rather than a careerist path,” says David.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s dealing with all the usual careerist pitfalls that tend to deflate progressive momentum: He represents an increasingly purple state; he is crucially aware of the supreme power wielded by the Israel lobbying machine; he is no longer, and never will be again, an outsider to the world of federal legislation.

From Slate