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
David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
Aside from Sunak and Starmer, this year’s wild card is Nigel Farage, the populist whose critics label as far right.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 July 2024
The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2024
Proponents maintain that these programs are engines of integration, while critics slam them as slave labor and little more than populist attempts by regional authorities to woo back voters drifting to the far right.
—Kate Brady, Washington Post, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist 
Noun
The human rights advocate hit out at right-wing populists influencing border policy through fear-mongering.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
Aside from Sunak and Starmer, this year’s wild card is Nigel Farage, the populist whose critics label as far right.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 July 2024
Adjective
Trump’s presence of mind and sense of the moment, after having just been nearly killed and perhaps while still in mortal peril, speak to his natural talents and instincts as a politician and populist symbol.
—The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2024
Proponents maintain that these programs are engines of integration, while critics slam them as slave labor and little more than populist attempts by regional authorities to woo back voters drifting to the far right.
—Kate Brady, Washington Post, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for populist
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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Cite this Entry
“Populist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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