opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nis·tic
ˌä-pər-tü-ˈni-stik 
-tyü-
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: such as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle (see principle sense 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
Examples of opportunistic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The author portrays Huntington Beach’s conservative leadership as opportunistic political actors seeking to weaponize local grievances for statewide power, characterizing their efforts to expand influence as built on cultural controversies rather than substantive governance achievements.
—
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Carrying the marks of each new regime, generations come and go — a Jewish family, an opportunistic architect and his wife, an idealistic writer, and her granddaughter.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
To regulate online commerce sensibly, policymakers ought to look to the essence and effects of digital business practices and renounce proposals predicated on shortsighted or opportunistic naming conventions.
—David B McGarry, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
That rally has been a boon for investment firms of ultra-wealthy families who made opportunistic bets on oil in recent years.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
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Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Carrying the marks of each new regime, generations come and go — a Jewish family, an opportunistic architect and his wife, an idealistic writer, and her granddaughter.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
To regulate online commerce sensibly, policymakers ought to look to the essence and effects of digital business practices and renounce proposals predicated on shortsighted or opportunistic naming conventions.
—David B McGarry, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
That rally has been a boon for investment firms of ultra-wealthy families who made opportunistic bets on oil in recent years.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunistic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunistic
noun
op·por·tu·nis·tic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle or consequences
an opportunistic cheater
b
: feeding on whatever food is available
opportunistic feeders
Medical Definition
opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nist·ic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
1
: of, relating to, or being a microorganism that is usually harmless but can become pathogenic when the host's resistance to disease is impaired
2
: of, relating to, or being an infection or disease caused by an opportunistic organism
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and other opportunistic infections that kill AIDS patients—New York Times
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