Dictionary

alt-left en · NOUN

Etymology

From alt- + left, by analogy with alt-right.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, uncountable) A political movement whose supporters hold extreme left-wing views and reject mainstream politics. It's a purported political faction espousing an extreme leftist ideology, or one espousing liberal ideology but using extreme, antiestablishment messaging.
   • According to the Skwawkbox, the excitable alt-left blog, he is “Labour’s media man on fire” – and he has “interviewers feeling the burn”. 2017 May 30, Patrick Maguire, “How Barry Gardiner went from wannabe vicar to high priest of Corbynism”, in New Statesman:
   • Turner approvingly noted that when The Canary – the doyen of the alt-left media outlets – first launched in late 2015 it was dubbed “the left-wing Daily Mail” by virtue of being written in a way that is accessible to everyone. 2017 May 6, Jim Waterson, “The Rise Of The Alt-Left British Media”, in BuzzFeed UK:
   • Corbyn’s team will never recognise in themselves a symmetrical alt-left to the “alt-right” menace they revile. 2018 September 25, Rafael Behr, “On Europe, Labour’s left is revealing its affinity to the ‘alt-right’”, in The Guardian:
   • When it comes to explaining Jeremy Corbyn’s success at the British general election, much attention is paid to the rise of alt-left news sites such as The Canary and Evolve Politics. 2017 June 23, Richard Thomas, Stephen Cushion, “From cat gifs to serious political clout: Buzzfeed^([sic]) and the 2017 UK election”, in The Conversation:
2. (US, derogatory, uncountable) The part of the political spectrum that is considered too left-wing; the extreme or radical left.
   • The President then explicitly and aggressively made the case for why the anti-racism counter-protesters were as much at fault as the armed white militias—a contention at odds with local police accounts. "What about the alt-left that came charging at the – as you say — the alt-right?" Trump challenged the reporters. "Do they have any semblance of guilt?" 2017 August 16, Noah Bierman, “Trump again decries both sides' actions in Virginia”, in Los Angeles Times, page A1, A10:
   • The alt-left trolls are not over it - now they decided to bus in protestors to protest against a democratic result. The alt-left media have been slow to bash these undemocratic revolting bussed in peasants. 2016 November 24, 7, “The alt-left media cooking up glow ball wumming anti-Trump racket Group”, in alt.global-warming (Usenet):
   • Sadly, the alt-left's previous apoplectic chicken little month is not limited to nominations, though...is it? It is focused on anything trump does, says, thinks, might have thought, could have thought...etc etc.... 2016 December 10, Irie, “Just so I can save the alt left from wasting time posting on future Trump nominations/actions/thoughts, words or deeds”, in Political Euwetopia (Google Groups):
   • Instead, today, a subversive alt-government is emerging, in line with the alt-left's growing resistance to use any means necessary to slow, stop and obstruct Trump’s agenda, from inside the government, to make America ungovernable. 2017 February 13, Joe Cooper, “There's An Alt-Left, And It's Trying To Make America Ungovernable”, in alt.politics.democrats (Usenet):

Forms

Antonyms

alt-right

Coordinates

alt-right · regressive left · alt-center · far left · alt-light