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

With no fair government review, this fight pits individual families against corporations and billionaires with in-house legal teams, powerful lobbyists and endless public relations resources. — Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Wayne Halfway House, which pays a legislative lobbyist and also makes political donations in the state, opposed the bill. — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026

Ahmed also offers a glimpse into just how entangled the Biden White House was with lobbyists and donors who wanted to ensure that Israel enjoyed a free hand. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Mills, whose portfolio included education, ran point on college sports in Murphy’s office, holding hundreds of meetings on the subject with lobbyists and various stakeholders. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lobbyist

• hobbyist