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

That report remains unpublished but is likely at the center of officials’ discussions with tech lobbyists. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Earlier this year, California Forever hired former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and former Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a former Sacramento mayor, as lobbyists to advance the project through the Legislature. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026

She was photographed at the private Sea Island resort as the guest of lobbyists hired by Saudi Arabia. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

David Rubenstein had left the Carter White House and, finding life as a lobbyist humiliating, teamed up with Bill Conway, a former executive at telecom giant MCI, and Daniel D’Aniello, a dealmaker at Marriott, to launch a buyout firm. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lobbyist

• hobbyist