agitprop

American  

[aj-it-prop] / ˈædʒ ɪtˌprɒp /

noun

1. agitation and propaganda, especially for the cause of communism.

2. Often Agitprop an agency or department, as of a government, that directs and coordinates agitation and propaganda.

3. Also agitpropist. a person who is trained or takes part in such activities.

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adjective

1. of or relating to agitprop.

agitprop British  

/ ˈædʒɪtˌprɒp /

noun

1. (often capital) (formerly) a bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in charge of agitation and propaganda on behalf of Communism

2. 1. any promotion, as in the arts, of political propaganda, esp of a Communist nature

   2. ( as modifier )

      agitprop theatre

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Etymology

Origin of agitprop

First recorded in 1930–35; from Russian Agitpróp, originally for Agitatsiónno-propagandístskiĭ otdél “Agitation Propaganda Section” (of the Central Committee, or a local committee, of the Communist Party); subsequently the head of such a section, or in compound names of political education organs, as agitpropbrigáda, etc.

Explanation

Agitprop appears to be art but is actually political propaganda. A movie that embraces an extreme political position could be called agitprop. Agitprop, first used in 1938, is a portmanteau, or a combination of two words: agitation and propaganda. It was originally used in Soviet Russia, inspired by a Communist Party committee called the "Department for Agitation and Propaganda." The goal of this original agitprop was to spread the ideals of communism throughout the world. Agitprop theater was common in Europe and the US in the 1920s, and the term soon evolved to include political art of all kinds.

Example Sentences

Perhaps an exhibition could explore Jewish artists wrestling with their traditions, but here these objects land like leaden agitprop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

As Kline freely admits, works like these verge on agitprop.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2023

"There are a lot of explosive things in the film. Without wanting to sound too highfalutin, it's much more existential for me," she said, adding: "I am not interested in agitprop."

From Reuters • Sep. 1, 2022

Current exhibitions include a celebration of the influential fashionista Lee Alexander McQueen and a campus-wide survey of works by acclaimed agitprop artist Barbara Kruger.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2022

My professor, Linda Heywood, was slight and bespectacled, spoke with a high Trinidadian lilt that she employed like a hammer against young students like me who confused agitprop with hard study.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Related Words

• disinformation
• hype
• indoctrination
• publicity