activist

1 of 2

noun

ac·​tiv·​ist ˈak-ti-vist 

plural activists

: one who advocates or practices activism : a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

Antiwar activists were protesting in the streets.

an environmental activist

political activists

The conventional wisdom is that young people no longer care enough to stand up for what is important; that the days of activism and protest have faded into the past, the bailiwick of aging hippies and activists.

—The Easton (Massachusetts) Journal

activistic

ˌak-ti-ˈvi-stik 

adjective

What is news to me … is how much alike were the fears and concerns of both activistic Democrats and skeptical Republicans …

—Nathan Glazer

activist

2 of 2

adjective

: advocating or practicing activism : using or supporting strong actions in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

For the activist groups that will carry the nomination fight to the public, the name of the game is hit early and often.

—Richard Lacayo

Pressing demands that are both global and granular, the activist investor has turned himself into one of the food sector's most influential players, affecting how millions of people eat each day.

—Julie Jargon

They plan to become activist shareholders who will protest global-warming resolutions and anything else that undermines corporate profitability.

—John J. Miller

Examples of activist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In 2024, some activists argued against him being the party's nominee for vice president. —CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

Response, planned protests around Austin Austin activists are organizing protests for Thursday night. —Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Other activist groups have mobilized to track ICE’s presence in Minneapolis — down to the license plate numbers of federal vehicles and the individual officers who drive them. —Sarah Bedford, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026

A little over 18 months later, the activist investor Elliott Investment Management built a stake in Southwest and launched a withering campaign that called for sweeping board changes, including the removal of Jordan and his then-chairman, Gary Kelly. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1917, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

activist

noun

ac·​tiv·​ist

ˈak-ti-vəst

: a person who believes in forceful action (as a mass demonstration) for political purposes

activism

-ˌviz-əm

noun