opportunist

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ist ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist 

-ˈtyü-

: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism

… a slick, shady, amoral opportunist who has only one desire: to get through life without a day of labor …

—Allan Ulrich

Most burglars are opportunists.

opportunist adjective

Synonyms of opportunist

• chameleon

Examples of opportunist in a Sentence

a political opportunist who changed his health-care plan to win the election

ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend

Recent Examples on the Web

Sometimes hawks rise above Helm’s whirling bar cloud – opportunists. —Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

That sluggish growth deepened religious and ethnic fault lines and allowed political opportunists to foment violence, forcing the authorities to focus on maintaining stability rather than spur economic transformation. —Amaka Anku, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2025

So there’s really no room for Moulton, who is seen more of an opportunist by Massachusetts political players. —Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025

The Jags are equal opportunists in their one-score adventures. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

opportun(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French opportuniste

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for opportunist

• cartoonist
• soonest

Kids Definition

opportunist

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ist -ˈt(y)ü-nəst 

: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism

opportunist adjective

Medical Definition

opportunist

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ist ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-nəst 

: an opportunistic microorganism