as in conservative
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
rightists opposed the new social programs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reactionary
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rightist
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced the rightist Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his 2023 election loss.
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semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Historians have pointed to Hodge’s early support of reactionary rightists, including industrialists, landlords, and businessmen—people who were associated with Japanese rule.
—
Kornel Chang
september 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
21 June 2026
Noun
That is, rightists who oppose aid to Ukraine tend to be skeptical of Israel and at least open to having anti-Semites in the Republican coalition.
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Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced the rightist Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his 2023 election loss.
—
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
Historians have pointed to Hodge’s early support of reactionary rightists, including industrialists, landlords, and businessmen—people who were associated with Japanese rule.
—
Kornel Chang
september 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
As rightist parties surge across the UK, Labour members are betting on Burnham — who easily won a parliamentary seat last week — to salvage their moribund agenda.
—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightist
Noun
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Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
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In her final opinion as a Supreme Court justice in 2005, Sandra Day O’Connor – a judicial conservative – reflected on the importance of church-state separation to guarantee full religious freedom.
Adjective
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However, the team isn’t presenting Sentnor as a reactionary move to Straus’ departure.
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Only within the logic of an authoritarian or deeply reactionary culture can justice and beauty become controversial aims.
Adjective
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The democratic socialist endorsed in three competitive House primary matchups, breaking with Democratic leaders by supporting leftist candidates who were unafraid to criticize Israel and push for ambitious economic policies.
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The election result also drew strong praise from prominent South Florida Republican lawmakers, many of whom had openly backed de la Espriella and framed the Colombian election as part of a broader ideological struggle across Latin America between democratic capitalism and leftist populism.
Adjective
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Although not always the case, excessive heat warnings usually coincide with heat waves.
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This does not diminish concerns about excessive screen time or the value of reducing distractions during the school day.
Adjective
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On the other hand, the number of incidents at gatherings had risen within left-wing extremist circles, from 131 in 2024 to 214 last year; and in the right-wing extremist camp, 96 incidents at gatherings were reported — nearly double that of 2024.
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Ossoff's campaign and Georgia Democrats have highlighted allegations involving Collins' past social media activity and associations with individuals accused of antisemitic or extremist views.
Adjective
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Some prominent liberal legal scholars even attempted to defend substantive-due-process rights using originalist and textualist methods.
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In a stark move, liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor directly criticized Thomas' claim in a joint opinion.
Cite this Entry
“Rightist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightist. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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