pop·u·list
ˈpä-pyə-list 
1
: a member of a political party claiming to represent the common people
especially, often capitalized
: a member of a U.S. political party formed in 1891 primarily to represent agrarian interests and to advocate the free coinage of silver and government control of monopolies
2
: a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people
1
often capitalized
: of, relating to, or characterized by populism
2
a
b
Examples of populist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024
Momentum could swing further in the direction of far-right parties in Europe, performative populists in the Americas, and nepotistic and transactional corruption in Asia and Africa.
—Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The result marks the first time the RN, headed by far-right populist Marine Le Pen, has won more than 20 percent of the vote in a parliamentary election.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist 
Noun
Political populists on the right and left are everywhere these days.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024
Momentum could swing further in the direction of far-right parties in Europe, performative populists in the Americas, and nepotistic and transactional corruption in Asia and Africa.
—Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Adjective
At this point, the Tories are not only facing defeat at the hands of Labour, but they are also being challenged from the right by the populist, anti-immigration Reform UK Party.
—Dan Balz, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The result marks the first time the RN, headed by far-right populist Marine Le Pen, has won more than 20 percent of the vote in a parliamentary election.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'populist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Populist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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