pop·u·list
ˈpä-pyə-list 
1
: a member of a political party claiming to represent the common people
especially, often capitalized
: a member of a U.S. political party formed in 1891 primarily to represent agrarian interests and to advocate the free coinage of silver and government control of monopolies
2
: a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people
1
often capitalized
: of, relating to, or characterized by populism
2
a
b
Examples of populist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Right-wing populist Javier Milei wins contest to be Argentina’s next president… Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passes away at age 96….
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
Fortune An ‘anarcho-capitalist’ wins Argentina’s election Right-wing populist Javier Milei will be Argentina’s next president, defeating his opponent by ten percentage points in a run-off election Sunday.
—Alan Murray, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
Anyway, here is an excerpt from my piece, citing a certain Alabama governor:
Huey Long was maybe the outstanding populist and demagogue of the 20th century in America.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 23 Oct. 2023
This political shift in Poland is especially timely for the EU given a recent election victory for populists in Slovakia and strong poll numbers for populist parties in Germany, France, and Austria.
—Ian Bremmer, TIME, 19 Oct. 2023
But however inadvertently, Huntington furthered the cause of far-right populists everywhere by giving them a language and academic cover for their apocalyptic, xenophobic sentiments.
—Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023
Nationalists and populists have blackened the neocons’ name.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Aug. 2023
Only six other Senate Republicans publicly support the bill, including fellow populist Josh Hawley of Missouri, as well as some more senior Republicans including former presidential candidates Marco Rubio of Florida and Mitt Romney of Utah.
—Steven T. Dennis, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2023
Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
Taking a page from recent coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger’s new military leaders have tarred the country’s democratic leaders as too closely linked with France and promoted a populist message calling for the departure of the French military and diplomats from the region.
—Rachel Chason, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Mark Kelly The populist revolution against self-perpetuating progressive elites is a global phenomenon.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2023
Aeschylus Nov 17 Edited The authors of this article pretend the populist group is the only portion of the GOP who is not fiscally conservative.
—Tim Chapman, National Review, 17 Nov. 2023
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s dramatic shake-up of his cabinet on Monday was a bold gamble that tacking to the center will give him a lift in the polls that his lurch to the populist right this summer failed to accomplish.
—Stephen Castle, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
The British-American author decried the current age as a time when freedom of expression is under attack by all sides, including from authoritarian and populist voices, according to the German news agency dpa.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2023
The growing role of business interests within the Democratic Party may indeed block some populist and egalitarian economic policies, but that may well be a good thing.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023
Presley, 46, has focused his campaign on championing populist issues and battling corruption.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
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Noun
And in 1992, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan challenged President George H.W. Bush with a proto-Trumpian populist, socially conservative and isolationist message.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Right-wing populist Javier Milei wins contest to be Argentina’s next president… Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passes away at age 96….
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
Fortune An ‘anarcho-capitalist’ wins Argentina’s election Right-wing populist Javier Milei will be Argentina’s next president, defeating his opponent by ten percentage points in a run-off election Sunday.
—Alan Murray, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023
Anyway, here is an excerpt from my piece, citing a certain Alabama governor:
Huey Long was maybe the outstanding populist and demagogue of the 20th century in America.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 23 Oct. 2023
This political shift in Poland is especially timely for the EU given a recent election victory for populists in Slovakia and strong poll numbers for populist parties in Germany, France, and Austria.
—Ian Bremmer, TIME, 19 Oct. 2023
But however inadvertently, Huntington furthered the cause of far-right populists everywhere by giving them a language and academic cover for their apocalyptic, xenophobic sentiments.
—Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023
Nationalists and populists have blackened the neocons’ name.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Aug. 2023
Only six other Senate Republicans publicly support the bill, including fellow populist Josh Hawley of Missouri, as well as some more senior Republicans including former presidential candidates Marco Rubio of Florida and Mitt Romney of Utah.
—Steven T. Dennis, BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2023
Adjective
Barbie — a populist choice that exceeded all expectations to become both a critical and box office success.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
Taking a page from recent coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger’s new military leaders have tarred the country’s democratic leaders as too closely linked with France and promoted a populist message calling for the departure of the French military and diplomats from the region.
—Rachel Chason, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
Mark Kelly The populist revolution against self-perpetuating progressive elites is a global phenomenon.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2023
Aeschylus Nov 17 Edited The authors of this article pretend the populist group is the only portion of the GOP who is not fiscally conservative.
—Tim Chapman, National Review, 17 Nov. 2023
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s dramatic shake-up of his cabinet on Monday was a bold gamble that tacking to the center will give him a lift in the polls that his lurch to the populist right this summer failed to accomplish.
—Stephen Castle, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023
The British-American author decried the current age as a time when freedom of expression is under attack by all sides, including from authoritarian and populist voices, according to the German news agency dpa.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2023
The growing role of business interests within the Democratic Party may indeed block some populist and egalitarian economic policies, but that may well be a good thing.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023
Presley, 46, has focused his campaign on championing populist issues and battling corruption.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'populist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Populist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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