communist

noun

com·​mu·​nist ˈkäm-yə-nist 

-yü-

1

: an adherent or advocate of communism

2

Communist : communard

3

a

Communist : a member of a Communist party or movement

b

often Communist : an adherent or advocate of a Communist government, party, or movement

4

often Communist : one held to engage in left-wing, subversive, or revolutionary activities

communist adjective

often Communist

communistic

ˌkäm-yə-ˈni-stik 

-yü-

adjective

often Communistic

communistically

ˌkäm-yə-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē 

-yü-

adverb

Synonyms of communist

• socialist

Examples of communist in a Sentence

communists were plotting an overthrow of the government

Recent Examples on the Web

By then, even Sartre had lost his enthusiasm for the USSR and had broken with the doctrinaire French communists. — Literary Hub, 21 July 2026

His last film, a three-hour biopic about a communist-sympathizing physicist losing his security clearance, made nearly $1 billion. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 19 July 2026

The shift has become a lightning rod for Republicans, who are aggressively branding Democrats as communists. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 17 July 2026

Now, none of the Democratic socialists who are on the ballot identify as communists. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

see communism

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing communist

• anti-communist

Rhymes for communist

• anticommunist

Kids Definition

communist

noun

com·​mu·​nist ˈkäm-yə-nəst 

1

: a person who believes in communism

2

capitalized : a member or follower of a Communist party or movement

communist adjective often capitalized

communistic

ˌkäm-yə-ˈnis-tik 

adjective often capitalized