pressure group

noun

Definition of pressure group

: an interest group organized to influence public and especially government policy but not to elect candidates to office

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Examples of pressure group in a Sentence

a pressure group trying to reduce taxes observed that if publishers gave in to every pressure group, nothing would ever get published

Recent Examples on the Web Female civil servants who refuse to do so have been demoted or sacked, according to Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch, a pressure group. — The Economist, "Indonesia’s government pushes back against Islamic dress codes," 27 Feb. 2021 This surprises many people, who are used to thinking of the fossil-fuel industry as the main pressure group. — Bill Mckibben, The New Yorker, "Joe Biden’s Cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline Is a Landmark in the Climate Fight," 21 Jan. 2021 The contract would run through 2045 and is key to launch construction of the U.S. firm’s Rio Grande LNG export terminal in Texas, according to the pressure group Les Amis de la Terre. — Francois De Beaupuy, Bloomberg.com, "French Utility Delays Decision on Buying $7 Billion of U.S. LNG," 22 Oct. 2020 There is a big difference between running a political party and running a glorified pressure group. — The Economist, "Labour holds Peterborough, slowing the Brexit Party’s momentum," 7 June 2019 The result is a formidable—and dangerous—coalition of diverse pressure groups. — Carl Bakal, Harper's Magazine, "Who Has the Guns?," 30 Mar. 2020 While national politicians cower in fear of donors, pressure groups and cable television coverage, mayors can act. — Mason B. Williams, New York Times, "Can Cities Save America?," 25 Feb. 2020 By the early 1900s, doing so had become all but essential, as a powerful new political pressure group, the Anti-Saloon League (ASL), began gaining traction, and the public started to take the temperance movement more seriously. — Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue, "Prohibition Was America’s First War on Drugs," 17 Jan. 2020 But pressure groups pushing for a ban have gathered support from mostly liberal lawmakers. — The Economist, "A Californian bill would make it harder to control the state’s thriving rats," 21 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pressure group.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

2 Mar 2021

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“Pressure group.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pressure%20group. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for pressure group

pressure group

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pressure group

: a group of people who share an interest, concern, or set of opinions and who try to influence politics or the policies of government, business, etc.

See the full definition for pressure group in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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