opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist 
-ˈtyü-
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
a slick, shady, amoral opportunist who has only one desire: to get through life without a day of labor—
Allan Ulrich
Allan UlrichMost burglars are opportunists.
opportunist
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of opportunist in a Sentence
a political opportunist who changed his health-care plan to win the election
ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend
Recent Examples on the Web
The movie does score points, however, in its observation of the ways in which wealthy business opportunists profit from the tragedies of ordinary Americans.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
Tragically, narratives around immigration in this country increasingly depict people in need of safety as security threats, drains on resources or opportunists.
—Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2024
In hoping to please these political opportunists, Columbia has turned its back on its principles.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2024
The endorsement of Labour will be seen as an opportunist move given the polling, and the newspaper notably didn’t include an image of Starmer.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Europe, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
Tragically, narratives around immigration in this country increasingly depict people in need of safety as security threats, drains on resources or opportunists.
—Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2024
In hoping to please these political opportunists, Columbia has turned its back on its principles.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2024
The endorsement of Labour will be seen as an opportunist move given the polling, and the newspaper notably didn’t include an image of Starmer.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Europe, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opportunist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near opportunist
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunist. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
opportunist
adjective
Medical Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: an opportunistic microorganism
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