lobbyist

noun

lob·​by·​ist ˈlä-bē-ist 

plural lobbyists

: one who conducts activities aimed at influencing or swaying public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation : a person engaged in lobbying public officials

The new rule says that if you were a registered lobbyist in the past two years, you can't work for the administration on any issue you touched. After you leave government, you can't lobby the administration at all.

—Jacob Weisberg

Because so many lobbyists have past experience on Capitol Hill, they usually have personal ties both to members of congress and to their key staffers, who vet and prioritize the earmark requests.

—Ken Silverstein

Examples of lobbyist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Ethics Commission on Wednesday also approved several settlements for violations of a law that requires lobbyists to register with the city and report lobbying activities. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Bayer, like other companies, hires lobbyists in states to advocate for its interests. —Hannah Fingerhut and David A. Lieb, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024

More sweeping legislation typically is introduced in the House, while lobbyists who seek to blunt or kill reform often train their focus on the Senate. —Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2024

The biotech industry’s largest trade group has parted ways with its top lobbyist, the group confirmed to STAT, adding to a recent bout of organizational tumult. —Rachel Cohrs Zhang and John Wilkerson, STAT, 10 Apr. 2024

Wellness and Besa Hospitality Group (both of which are referenced on the Smokey River Entertainment District website) — are represented at the Missouri Capitol by Steve Tilley, a powerful former Missouri House speaker turned lobbyist. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024

Doug Taylor, a lobbyist for Opportunity Solutions Project, the political arm of the Foundation for Government Accountability, told the Statesman FGA drafted House Bill 669, a bill to ban large banks from using ESG factors. —Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2024

At his side for at least part of the trip was Ms. Tao, the lobbyist, who had risen to the post of vice president at Tesla. —John Liu, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024

In the new tailpipe emissions rule, the US EPA tried to make auto lobbyists and environmentalists happy by acknowledging that real-world plug-in hybrid driving is far from emissions-free. —Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above