socialist

noun

so·​cial·​ist ˈsō-sh(ə-)list 

1

: one who advocates or practices socialism

2

Socialist : a member of a party or political group advocating socialism

socialist adjective

often Socialist

socialistic

ˌsō-shə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

socialistically

ˌsō-shə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of socialist

• communist

Examples of socialist in a Sentence

a lifelong socialist who never lost faith in his cause

Recent Examples on the Web

In that second leadership election, he was roundly defeated by Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist whose victory dragged the party leftwards. —Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

Democratic socialists who are gaining power in large cities notched another major win this week, with Janeese Lewis George heavily favored to become the next mayor of the nation’s capital. —Ben Binday, Washington Post, 19 June 2026

City leaders can draw outsized attention for their successes and failures, and democratic socialists will be under pressure from residents to deliver on their vows for a new kind of governance. —ABC News, 19 June 2026

Democratic socialists tend to support policies to the left of mainstream Democratic politicians. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing socialist

• anti-socialist
• socialist realism