anarchist

noun

an·​ar·​chist ˈa-nər-kist 

-ˌnär-

1

: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power

2

: a person who believes in, advocates, or promotes anarchism or anarchy

especially : one who uses violent means to overthrow the established order

anarchist adjective

or anarchistic

ˌa-nər-ˈki-stik 

-(ˌ)när-

Examples of anarchist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not all of us in the anti-globalist crowd were pot-smoking anarchists. —Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025

Italy's special police unit Digos is leading an investigation looking into the possibility that anarchists set fire to the cars on the eastern outskirts of the Italian capital, a security source said. —USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025

Instead of undermining the state by killing off plutocrats and presidents, anarchists ended up strengthening it. —Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Today’s fascination with destruction and disruption is continuous with the passion of the anarchists. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

anarchy + -ist entry 1; as a proponent of a political theory after French anarchiste.

Note: The use of the French words anarchisme and anarchiste in reference to political theory are associated with Pierre-Joseph proudhon. In his first major work, Qu'est-ce que la propriété? Recherche sur le principe du droit et du gouvernement (Paris, 1840), Proudhon used anarchiste (p.229), but not anarchisme.

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anarchist

noun

an·​ar·​chist ˈan-ər-kəst 

-ˌär-

: a person who believes in anarchism or anarchy or practices anarchy

anarchist adjective

or anarchistic

ˌan-ər-ˈkis-tik 

-(ˌ)är-