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
Ryan Hartman’s opportunistic goal in the dying seconds of the opening period was the difference maker.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
On this occasion, there were no jostling journalists, no opportunistic influencers and no sign of the Hollywood scriptwriter looking to buy the rights to a story that has resonated around the world.
—Esme Nicholson, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Waging war is expensive and the longer conflicts last, and the more desperate each side gets, aid workers say, the more likely opportunistic factions are to take advantage of the discord by trading weapons or cash for access to extractive resources or land at bargain prices.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
While snow geese are not a primary part of their diet, hawks will eat them as opportunistic hunters.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
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Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
On this occasion, there were no jostling journalists, no opportunistic influencers and no sign of the Hollywood scriptwriter looking to buy the rights to a story that has resonated around the world.
—Esme Nicholson, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Waging war is expensive and the longer conflicts last, and the more desperate each side gets, aid workers say, the more likely opportunistic factions are to take advantage of the discord by trading weapons or cash for access to extractive resources or land at bargain prices.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
While snow geese are not a primary part of their diet, hawks will eat them as opportunistic hunters.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunistic. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.
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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