populist

[ pop-yuh-list ]

noun

1. a supporter or adherent of populism.
2. (initial capital letter) a member of the People's party.

adjective

1. Also popu·listic. of, relating to, or characteristic of populism or its adherents.
2. (initial capital letter) Also Popu·listic. of or relating to the People's party.

populist

¹

/ ˈpɒpjʊlɪst /

adjective

1. appealing to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

noun

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

Populist

²

/ 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

adjective

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

Derived Forms

• ˈPopulism, noun

Other Words From

• anti-popu·list noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of populist¹

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

Example Sentences

The GameStop stock craze is about a populist uprising against Wall Street.

From Washington Post

Just as populist forces challenged a system of globalization that favored Wall Street and giant corporations rather than factory workers, a grass-roots reaction against financial markets tilted to benefit the rich may be underway.

From Washington Post

Meanwhile, many of the GameStop traders say they’re using Wall Street’s own tools against it in a kind of eat-the-rich populist uprising.

From Time

As the global rise of populist demagogues in these countries show, “unlawful protests” are not how democratic processes are “subverted,” as Modi would have us believe.

From Time

Longtime Republican pollster Whit Ayres separates the party into the “populist wing” and the “governing wing.”

From Ozy

The House caucus appears to be far more populist, feisty, and ready to push the debate on economic issues than it has in the past.

From The Daily Beast

In the old days, drenched in racism as the South was, it was economically populist.

From The Daily Beast

But the results make sense—when you look at how Republican candidates acted like Democrats on popular, populist issues.

From The Daily Beast

Tapping into middle-class grievances with populist ideas on the economy is where Warren excels.

From The Daily Beast

Whether or not one likes the music of Garth Brooks, it is arguable that he is the last and only populist in pop culture.

From The Daily Beast

Her homecoming brought reporters to 17 Madison Street for the details about her alignment with the Populist party.

From Project Gutenberg

Watching the straws in the wind, she saw Republican supremacy seriously threatened by the new Populist party.

From Project Gutenberg

The Populist movement promised to cause a healthy division of the whites into two parties.

From Project Gutenberg

Many said, as they grasped her hand: "You're going to be a Populist now, ain't you?"

From Project Gutenberg

"I want Miss Shaw to come forward and give that Populist whoop that she promised she would last night," said a delegate.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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