opportunism

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ism ˌä-pər-ˈtü-ˌni-zəm 

-ˈtyü-

: the art, policy, or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances often with little regard for principles or consequences

Examples of opportunism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The people of this district deserve better than political opportunism disguised as moderation. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Others accused OpenAI of opportunism, pointing out Altman had previously supported Anthropic’s stand, before signing the deal Anthropic rejected. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

Without Reagan, the Reaganite coalition began to dissolve in the face of Buchanan’s angry populism and Gingrich’s cold opportunism. —Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026

But turning this moment into lasting advantage will require careful planning, not just short-term opportunism. —Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 7 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

opportune + -ism, after Italian opportunismo and French opportunisme

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for opportunism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism

Kids Definition

opportunism

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ism ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-ˌniz-əm 

: the practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances regardless of what one should do or what might happen