populist

American  

[pop-yuh-list] / ˈpɒp yə lɪst /

noun

1. a supporter or adherent of populism.

2. (initial capital letter) a member of the People's party.

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adjective

1. Also populistic. of, relating to, or characteristic of populism or its adherents.

2. (initial capital letter) Also Populistic. of or relating to the People's party.

Populist ¹ British  

/ ˈpɒpjʊlɪst /

noun

1. history a member of the People's Party, formed largely by agrarian interests to contest the 1892 presidential election. The movement gradually dissolved after the 1904 election

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adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the People's Party, the Populists, or any individual or movement with similar aims

populist ² British  

/ ˈpɒpjʊlɪst /

adjective

1. appealing to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

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noun

1. a person, esp a politician, who appeals to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

Other Word Forms

• Populism noun
• anti-populist noun

Etymology

Origin of populist

An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; from Latin popul(us) “people” ( people, popular ) + -ist

Example Sentences

Even more worrying to some is what Shulman represents in an era when music is increasingly populist.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a politician, he is something of a populist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Three populist parties are also in the running and opinion polls see them garnering around 19 percent of the vote.

From Barron's

The religious trend seen in Iran for years—the rise of anticlerical populist Shiism among those who still believe—may gain even more strength.

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s Coogler’s challenge too, and this is his moment to encourage the industry to get back to making ambitious populist hits.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• autonomous
• constitutional
• egalitarian
• free
• orderly
• popular