activist

1 of 2

noun

ac·​tiv·​ist ˈak-ti-vist How to pronounce activist (audio)
plural activists
: one who advocates or practices activism : a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue
Antiwar activists were protesting in the streets.
an environmental activist
political activists
The conventional wisdom is that young people no longer care enough to stand up for what is important; that the days of activism and protest have faded into the past, the bailiwick of aging hippies and activists.The Easton (Massachusetts) Journal
activistic adjective
What is news to me … is how much alike were the fears and concerns of both activistic Democrats and skeptical Republicans … Nathan Glazer

activist

2 of 2

adjective

: advocating or practicing activism : using or supporting strong actions in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue
For the activist groups that will carry the nomination fight to the public, the name of the game is hit early and often.Richard Lacayo
Pressing demands that are both global and granular, the activist investor has turned himself into one of the food sector's most influential players, affecting how millions of people eat each day.Julie Jargon
They plan to become activist shareholders who will protest global-warming resolutions and anything else that undermines corporate profitability.John J. Miller

Examples of activist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Joel Carmel, a former Israeli soldier who is now a peace activist, said the future of Jewish settlements in Gaza may depend on who wins the U.S. election in November. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Navalny’s team and numerous other Russian activists have fled the country in recent years as Moscow’s increasingly repressive regime cracked down on any opposition. Darya Tarasova, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 In some places, citizen activists have even succeeded in getting a road closed to traffic on particular nights in a particular season. Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 In recent years, famous artworks have become increasingly popular targets for activists. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 And the other activist hedge fund vying for board representation at the company is Blackwells Capital, which owns about $15 million in stock. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The opponent, Robert Patillo, is a local radio host and activist who has been affiliated with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which was founded by Jesse Jackson. Richard Fausset, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Disappointed climate activists will be pushing to turn the ratchet further as soon as politics permit. The Editors, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024 For his work as activist Bayard Rustin in the biopic Rustin, Domingo, 54, earned a nod for Best Actor. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024
Adjective
In a presentation posted to the shareholder campaign website Vote Disney, the House of Mouse included highlights of its success with franchises as the company is waging a proxy fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 The activist investor didn’t nominate directors for seats on the board of Illumina before a deadline to do so passed, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Crystal Tse, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The activist investor Elliott Management, which previously led shake-ups at Salesforce and Pinterest, took a $1 billion stake in Match Group in January, a sign that Wall Street sees an opportunity for growth. J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Both Karamo and Hoekstra, plus the vast majority of their activist supporters, back Trump for president. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024 Now an activist investor is circling The lawsuit cited the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 strike in 2022 against Kroger’s King Soopers supermarkets in the Denver area. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The proxy fight between activist investors and the Walt Disney Co.’s current board is heating up as the heirs of Walt and Roy Disney, who founded the company in 1923, have publicly announced their support for Bob Iger. Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Another activist investor, ValueAct, is backing Disney amid the Trian and Blackwells challenges. Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 This has caught the attention of an activist investor, which is pressuring Mattel to change course and better reward its shareholders. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'activist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of activist was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near activist

Cite this Entry

“Activist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/activist. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

activist

noun
ac·​tiv·​ist
ˈak-ti-vəst
: a person who believes in forceful action (as a mass demonstration) for political purposes
activism
-ˌviz-əm
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!