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
Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
The populist and the former diplomat Maduro, who took the mantle of the populist Chavismo movement after his predecessor Hugo Chavez’s death in 2013, is seeking his third consecutive six-year term in office.
—David Shortell, CNN, 21 July 2024
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2024
The populist positioning pitted Harris against monopolistic conglomerates, firmly entrenching her on the side of average businesses and consumers.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist 
Noun
May 6, 2024 Can conservative Latin American populists motivate Latino vote?
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
The populist and the former diplomat Maduro, who took the mantle of the populist Chavismo movement after his predecessor Hugo Chavez’s death in 2013, is seeking his third consecutive six-year term in office.
—David Shortell, CNN, 21 July 2024
Adjective
Harris waited until Friday to reveal an economic policy agenda for her still-young campaign that has a decidedly populist bent.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2024
The populist positioning pitted Harris against monopolistic conglomerates, firmly entrenching her on the side of average businesses and consumers.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 18 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2024.
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