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
Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 June 2024
The elections were widely seen as a referendum on López Obrador, a populist who has expanded social programs but largely failed to reduce cartel violence in Mexico.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 26 May 2024
With his affinity for American music and winning way with audiences, Stern is a natural for this populist extravaganza.
—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist 
Noun
Pros: His populist, Rust Belt origins could help motivated uneducated white voters, who historically turn out in relatively low numbers, to head to voting booths for Trump.
—Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 June 2024
The elections were widely seen as a referendum on López Obrador, a populist who has expanded social programs but largely failed to reduce cartel violence in Mexico.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 June 2024
Adjective
The corruption charges against top Defense Ministry officials have come alongside promises of greater financial and social benefits for the rank-and-file soldiers, an apparent attempt to improve morale and mollify populist critics.
—Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 26 May 2024
With his affinity for American music and winning way with audiences, Stern is a natural for this populist extravaganza.
—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 24 May 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 10 Jun. 2024.
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