Definition of populist
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
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Recent Examples of populist from the Web
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Almost invariably, the authors argue, populists promise to relieve the stresses caused by institutional constraints.
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But during the campaign, Trump talked like a populist who'd help someone like Toomes.
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Bryan proved unsuccessful in three presidential bids, and populists of a different sort have come up short recently in Europe, most notably in France.
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Foul words often come from politicians who are already populists or hope to be seen as such (Gillibrand, Sanders, Perez).
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He has also been called a populist whose policies could hurt the economy.
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Looming over the race is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 63, a fiery left-wing populist and twice-unsuccessful presidential aspirant who is gearing up for a third run next year.
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Putin was supportive of Macron's far right populist rival, Marine Le Pen.
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His win averts a short-term crisis over the terms of France’s participation in the European Union, but as both the populists and their antagonists have discovered, victory isn’t everything.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'populist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of populist
Latin populus the people
Other Government and Politics Terms
populist
Definition of populist
Recent Examples of populist from the Web
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Trump's combination of setbacks and delays on key policy initiatives highlight how the president is struggling to advance a populist vision of governing in a Republican Party that historically has not been receptive to such an approach.
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And so perhaps not coincidentally, Trump Hotels is taking a populist turn.
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But far from being connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, the gulf states largely view the group’s brand of populist, political Islam as a threat.
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Meaning of Macron French voters overwhelmingly opted for centrism over the isolationist, populist streak that shocked pollsters in the U.S. last year, putting Emmanuel Macron up to the task of healing a divided nation.
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Meaning of Macron French voters overwhelmingly opted for centrism over the isolationist, populist streak that shocked pollsters in the U.S. last year, putting Emmanuel Macron up to the task of healing a divided nation.
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While many factors that contribute to unpleasant air travel these days came up during yesterday's session—tight seating, less-than-helpful employees—tackling the fee issue held a certain populist appeal.
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The president campaigned on a populist platform, rightly describing a middle class increasingly exploited and manipulated by rigged systems, and promising his market policies will take the side of American workers against economic elites.
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Trump on the other hand was forced to cancel his only public appearance yet, a friendly trip to a Harley-Davidson factory in Milwaukee, out of fear that protesters would steal his headlines and undercut his populist narrative.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'populist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of populist
1892
Other Government and Politics Terms
POPULIST Defined for English Language Learners
populist
Definition of populist for English Language Learners
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: of or relating to a political party that claims to represent ordinary people
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Spanish Central: Translation of populist Nglish: Translation of populist for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of populist for Arabic speakers
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