opportunist

noun op·por·tun·ist \ ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist , -ˈtyü- \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of opportunist

: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

Most burglars are opportunists.

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opportunist

adjective

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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 of opportunist from the Web

The problem is that some opportunists are selling counterfeit glasses, ISO logo and all.

— david sharos, Aurora Beacon-News, "Glasses to view eclipse flying off shelves," 15 Aug. 2017
Bontinck accepts every meeting or call, be it with a journalist, jihadi, or any number of the opportunists who thrive in the ungoverned space of war zones.

— jackson holahan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Rescued from ISIS' recounts a father's harrowing journey to save his son," 15 Aug. 2017
With the New York International Fringe Festival, normally the biggest fish in the pond, on hiatus for 2017, a number of opportunists have leapt forward with new summertime options for New York City theatergoers.

— steven mcelroy, New York Times, "Rising Artists (and a Werewolf) at a New Summer Theater Festival," 4 Aug. 2017
Don’t give money to scumbag bootleggers and opportunists.

— ashley lasimone, The Hollywood Reporter, "Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda Writes to Fans One Week After Chester Bennington's Death," 28 July 2017
There was scumbag opportunist Cory Booker, hugging McCain and acting like this was some kind of heartwarming meeting of the minds.

— drew magary, GQ, "John McCain Is the Perfect American Lie," 25 July 2017
Rather, Blazer was a shrewd businessman, a brash opportunist and a visionary—in the literal sense of the word—who first got to know soccer, along with millions of American parents, through his kids.

— brian straus, SI.com, "Chuck Blazer's trail of corruption, crime leaves U.S. colleagues facing his complex legacy," 13 July 2017
Was Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met Trump Jr., an agent of the Kremlin, or an opportunist shilling for a client?

— mark galeotti, The Atlantic, "What Exactly are 'Kremlin Ties'?," 12 July 2017
Meanwhile, opportunists have also popped up who are purporting to offer a means for AlphaBay users to get into the site, but whose real purpose is to steal information about the user:

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "‘Exit Scam’ Fears Grow as Drug Market AlphaBay Stays Dark One Week Later," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opportunist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.