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opportunistic

adjective

Definition of opportunisticnext
as in aggressive
attentive to and ready to act on opportunities for personal gain or advancement The opportunistic salesperson was always on the lookout for potential new customers.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of opportunistic Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run in the historically Black 20th Congressional District was selfish and opportunistic carpetbagging, a devastating usurpation of power from Black Floridians. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Cover the Soil Like other weeds, ragweed is opportunistic and quickly invades areas of bare soil. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026 Because coverage expanded far faster than state oversight guardrails, opportunistic bad actors rushed in to exploit the system. — Richard Popiel, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2026 Too often, the forceful arguments of Rankine and her peers—and the electric anger of the George Floyd protests—were used by the opportunistic and aggrieved to justify abrupt changes to unprepared institutions. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
  1. aggressive
  2. diligent
  3. aspiring
  4. industrious
  5. enterprising
  6. dynamic
Adjective
  • On one hand, the aggressive expansion of data centers is intensifying competition for finite resources like land and water, putting them in direct conflict with agricultural land use in certain regions.
    — , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Harsh cleaners and aggressive scrubbing can damage these surfaces.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • These students impressed us with their discerning angles, diligent research, and captivating storytelling.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Like other luxury houses and designers, Chanel is diligent about protecting its trademarks, creative assets and design rights.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of diligent
Adjective
  • This year marks the first time the program will include workshops, giving aspiring writers direct access to Netflix content executives.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Born in 1982 in Serpukhov, a town south of Moscow, by his own account, Kremlev was an aspiring boxer himself.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of aspiring
Adjective
  • Loosehead Boris Wenger and backrow Joaquin Moro were industrious and both scored tries while fullback Geronimo Piscatelli was a constant attacking threat, scoring one try and missing two others.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside his final-third prowess, Fernandes was industrious across the pitch, playing eight passes into the final third per game, more than any other United player.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of industrious
Adjective
  • This feature helped enable what Nokia researchers called kiosks—informal pay-per-call services, in which an enterprising phone subscriber charged neighbors and family members by the minute for use of the device.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 13 July 2026
  • Their younger son’s back issues are indeed the least of the family’s problems, especially when a deal made with a more enterprising neighboring farmer winds up going bust.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Definition of enterprising
Adjective
  • Provide them with dynamic deal scoring that offers price guidance based on similar win/loss scenarios.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • King was a dynamic runner who threw for 2,951 yards and 14 touchdowns last season while leading the team with 953 rushing yards and a conference-high 15 rushing scores.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dynamic

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opportunist
opportunistic
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Cite this Entry

“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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