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

Trump previously criticized Mamdani, labeling him a communist and endorsing his opponent, Andrew Cuomo. —Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025

Suharto blamed the coup on communists, ousted then-President Sukarno – the country’s first post-independence leader – and sanctioned a hunt for those responsible. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

Suharto, who is also the current leader’s father-in-law, came to power following brutal bloodletting in 1965 in which at least half a million people alleged to be communists were killed, and critics point to widespread reports of torture and forced disappearances through to his overthrow in 1998. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025

And now let’s see how a communist does in New York. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025

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