grassroots

1 of 2

adjective

grass·​roots ˈgras-ˌrüts 

-ˌru̇ts

variants or less commonly grassroot

ˈgras-ˌrüt 

-ˌru̇t

1

: basic, fundamental

the grassroots factor in deciding to buy a house

2

: being, originating, or operating in or at the grass roots

a grassroots organization

grassroots political support

3

: not adapted from or added to an existing facility or operation : totally new

a grassroots refinery

grass roots

2 of 2

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

: the very foundation or source

You must attack the problem at the grass roots.

2

: the basic level of society or of an organization especially as viewed in relation to higher or more centralized positions of power

was losing touch with the party's grass roots

Examples of grassroots in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The grassroots organization addresses the disproportionately high rates of violence against Native women. —Caroline Brew, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023

Sound of Freedom’s performance at the box office was due in part to a grassroots campaign from Angel that made audiences feel part of a movement to help end child trafficking. —Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023

Some had known Parker for decades as friends and fellow grassroots political leaders. —Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2023

For instance, an influencer known for their luxury lifestyle might not be the best fit for promoting a grassroots campaign for economic equality; such a mismatch can appear insincere and detract from the campaign's message. —Danielle Wiley, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

He was inspired by Vietnam War protests to organize a nationwide grassroots demonstration to promote conservation involvement and awareness. —Nicole Harris, Parents, 22 Oct. 2023

Their grassroots lobbying has paid off with major legislative wins, including a pair of housing construction bills that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Wednesday. —Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023

The showing also amounted to a win for grassroots organizations that spent more than a decade registering and mobilizing Latino voters. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023

On the heels of the Central Park incident, activists formed a grassroots group called Bird Names for Birds and began to push the American Ornithological Society to rename all eponymous avian species. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023

Noun

Grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow quickly. —Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023

Achieving chart success with savvy grass roots support was the ultimate repudiation of mainstream gatekeepers, Mr. MacDonald said. —Marc Tracy, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2023

Another part of the growth plan is more grass roots, which Mehta said will take time. —Schuyler Dixon, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023

Sure, that’s part of it at its grass roots belch-iest. —Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2023

But now a grass roots team of staff at Arecibo, together with telescope users, have other ideas. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 25 May 2023

Those who attended on a cold and drizzly evening said Mr. DeSantis would pay a price with the party’s grass roots for challenging the former president. —Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 6 May 2023

Then Nyala University’s Center for Peace Studies and 15 other grass roots organizations became involved. —Hafiz Haroun, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2023

Frequent light watering actually encourages weeds to pop up and grass roots to grow shallowly, which makes grass less drought tolerant. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 20 Apr. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see grass entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

grass roots

noun plural

: society at the local and popular level especially in areas away from political or cultural centers