POPULIST Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

populist

noun

Definition of populist next

as in socialist

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

snob
snoot

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 populist Jill Lepore reviews a new biography of the country’s leading progressive populist. —

Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026 Kikuyu Land also covers the current political chaos in the country, as Kenyan president William Ruto, a former populist, has become widely criticized and has turned increasingly authoritarian. —

Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026 The rise of the populist far right is not just an American political phenomenon, after all. —

Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025 Also in the running is centrist-liberal Salvador Nasralla, a populist of the Liberal Party. —

Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for populist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for populist

socialist

Noun

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who won election after pledging to make the city more affordable for middle-class residents, ran on universal child care.

— Moriah Balingit, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who won election after pledging to make the city more affordable for middle-class residents, ran on universal child care.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026