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View synonyms for

activist

[ ak-tuh-vist ]

noun

  1. an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, especially a political cause.


adjective

  1. of or relating to activism or activists:

    an activist organization for environmental concern.

  2. advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, especially a political cause:

    Activist opponents of the president picketed the White House.

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Other Word Forms

  • ԴDz·t· adjective noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of activist1

First recorded in 1905–10; active + -ist
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Footage posted on social media also shows the activists praying.

From

And the Planetary Society has engaged thousands of passionate activists to fight this battle.

From

The Supreme Court considered arguments on trans issues from the human rights campaign group Amnesty International, but not from exclusively trans activists.

From

"It was a beautiful party," says prominent human rights activist Boniface Mwangi, who was there.

From

But activists feared the transfer would end up being permanent.

From

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More About Activist

doesactivist mean?

An activist is a person who engages in activism—the practice of taking direct action to achieve political or social goals.

An activist may support a particular cause (or range of causes) or oppose it.

In any case, an activist tries to achieve such goals through direct (and continued) actions, such as protests, lawsuits, lobbying, petitions, and strikes.

The word activist implies that the person takes such actions consistently—that they are consistently active in these pursuits. For example, protesting is a form of activism, but someone who attends one protest probably wouldn’t be called an activist (unless they continue to take such actions).

The word activist is often preceded by a word referring to the kind of cause the activist is involved in, as in political activist or animal rights activist.

It can also be used as an adjective to describe such people or their activities, as in activist lawyer or activist organization.

Example: The prominent activist is known for organizing this summer’s mass protests.

Where doesactivist come from?

The first records of the word activist come from around the early 1900s. It’s a combination of active and the suffix ist, which indicates a person who practices something or holds certain principles. The related suffix -ism is used in words that refer to such practices or doctrines, such as activism.

Activism implies active participation in a cause—participation that is consistent and lasts. The word is sometimes used in terms that imply that someone has a specific agenda. This is the case in terms like activist judge, which implies that such a judge will not be objective or impartial and will instead make rulings based on a specific agenda.

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are some other forms related to activist?

are some synonyms for activist?

are some words that share a root or word element with activist?

are some words that often get used in discussing activist?

How isactivist used in real life?

People who are called activists typically work for or against change in political and social areas.

Try usingactivist!

Which of the following actions are used by activists?

A. protests
B. lawsuits
C. lobbying
D. all of the above

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activismactivities