lobbyist

noun

lob·​by·​ist ˈlä-bē-ist 

plural lobbyists

: one who conducts activities aimed at influencing or swaying public officials and especially members of a legislative body on legislation : a person engaged in lobbying public officials

The new rule says that if you were a registered lobbyist in the past two years, you can't work for the administration on any issue you touched. After you leave government, you can't lobby the administration at all.

—Jacob Weisberg

Because so many lobbyists have past experience on Capitol Hill, they usually have personal ties both to members of congress and to their key staffers, who vet and prioritize the earmark requests.

—Ken Silverstein

Examples of lobbyist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

David Kensinger, a longtime Republican consultant and lobbyist in Kansas, said campaigns in the state are among the most intimate in the country, relying on personal interactions. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 15 July 2024

The lobbyist on the account is Joan ​Galvin, who married Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) in 2018. —Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 10 July 2024

If hiring a lobbyist is the prerequisite to getting something done in Washington, why is lobbying such a puny industry? —Timothy Noah, Washington Post, 9 July 2024

On the docket for next week: Two figures convicted in the Jose Huizar corruption scandal — consultant Justin Kim and onetime lobbyist Morrie Goldman — will face sentencing by a federal judge. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above