opportunistic

adjective op·por·tu·nis·tic \ ˌä-pər-tü-ˈni-stik , -tyü- \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Definition of opportunistic

: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: such as

a : exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle (see principle 1) or consequences

a politician considered opportunistic

an opportunistic investment

b : feeding on whatever food is available

opportunistic feeders

opportunistic bears

c : being or caused by a usually harmless microorganism that can become pathogenic when the host's resistance is impaired

opportunistic infections

opportunistic diseases

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opportunistically

play \ˌä-pər-tü-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē, -tyü-\ adverb

Recent Examples of opportunistic from the Web

The company has been scrambling to make changes to its policies ever since thanks to pressure from angry users and opportunistic politicians, plus looming privacy regulations known as GDPR set to go into effect in Europe later this month.

— kurt wagner, Recode, "Facebook will allow users to opt out of letting Facebook collect their browsing history," 1 May 2018
Gebhardt’s lawyer said the state lacked physical evidence linking him to the crime and were reliant on testimony from opportunistic witnesses — six of whom are currently incarcerated — who only came forward in hopes of reducing their sentences.

— christian boone, ajc, "Judge in cold case murder: ‘Hopefully, sir, you have stabbed your last victim’," 26 June 2018
Alligators are opportunistic feeders that will eat what is readily available and easily overpowered.

— CBS News, "Homeowner's association sent alligator warning days before deadly attack," 11 June 2018
The ass covering, opportunistic version really rattled him.

— stephen sorace, Fox News, "Clinton's 'ass-covering' speech on bin Laden raid made Biden furious, book claims," 2 June 2018
Building through trades and free agency comes down to being opportunistic.

— jeff zillgitt, USA TODAY, "After arduous Process, Philadelphia 76ers owners building for 'sustainable excellence'," 14 Apr. 2018
In that case, the pathogens would be opportunistic, not causal, sneaking across the blood-brain barrier and taking up residence only after Alzheimer’s has developed.

— sharon begley, STAT, "New study supports long-dismissed idea: Herpes viruses could play role in Alzheimer’s," 21 June 2018
To others, her charges seemed opportunistic and a rush to judgment.

— ian duncan, baltimoresun.com, "Freddie Gray case roils prosecutor election — but not the one in Baltimore," 17 June 2018
There was no magic formula for breaking through; the asset-management industry is very opportunistic and objectively measured.

— chuck jaffe, WSJ, "A Star Bond-Fund Manager Avoids the Shortcuts," 6 May 2018

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