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
Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Testimony from senior military commanders published last month implicated Bolsonaro, a Donald Trump–style populist, in a coup attempt.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist 
Noun
All are populists bolstered by online armies that have been accused of spreading disinformation.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
Testimony from senior military commanders published last month implicated Bolsonaro, a Donald Trump–style populist, in a coup attempt.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Apr. 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 5 May. 2024.
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