Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
populist en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɔp.jʉ.lɪst/ (Australia)
- /ˈpɑ.pjə.lɪst/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈpɒp.jʊ.lɪst/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *poplos
Old Latin populus
Latin populus
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Hellenic *-tās
Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)
Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor.
Latin -istader.
Old French -istebor.
Middle English -ist
English -ist
English populist
From Latin populus + English -ist.
Meanings
-
Democratic.
-
(of a political policy) Put forward just because it would be popular.
-
Of or pertaining to populism.
On the right, this can look like gleeful cruelty, sadistic memes, posts that “own the libs” or sensationalized claims about fraud and conspiracy. On the left, it could be social justice messaging, online identity politics or populist economic proposals to, say, tax the rich.
2026 February 13, Nathan Taylor Pemberton, “When Posting Becomes Its Own Style of Politics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Forms
Synonyms
populistic
Translations (24)
hu populista (put forward just because it would be popular) · cs populistický (put forward just because it would be popular) · be папулі́сцкі (of or pertaining to populism) · he פופוליסטי (of or pertaining to populism) · ar شَعْبَوِيّ (put forward just because it would be popular) · ru попули́стский (of or pertaining to populism) · ru попули́стский (put forward just because it would be popular) · de populistisch (put forward just because it would be popular) · fr populiste (put forward just because it would be popular) · he פופוליסטי (put forward just because it would be popular) · fa-ira عَوامگَرا (put forward just because it would be popular) · th ประชานิยม (of or pertaining to populism) · fi populistinen (of or pertaining to populism) · ga pobalach (put forward just because it would be popular) · hu populista (of or pertaining to populism) · ru наро́днический (of or pertaining to populism) · uk популі́стський (put forward just because it would be popular) · ru наро́днический (democratic) · hi जनवादी (democratic) · fi populistinen (put forward just because it would be popular) · be папулі́сцкі (put forward just because it would be popular) · de populistisch (of or pertaining to populism) · uk популі́стський (of or pertaining to populism) · fi demokraattinen (democratic)
populist en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɔp.jʉ.lɪst/ (Australia)
- /ˈpɑ.pjə.lɪst/ (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈpɒp.jʊ.lɪst/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Italic *poplos
Old Latin populus
Latin populus
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Hellenic *-tās
Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)
Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor.
Latin -istader.
Old French -istebor.
Middle English -ist
English -ist
English populist
From Latin populus + English -ist.
Meanings
-
A person who advocates populism (a movement against ruling elites who are presumed not to act in the interests of the ordinary citizen).
So as to not throw too much of the blame on American populists, the right in other Western countries is also guilty of adopting this crass and anti-intellectual brand of politics.
2025 May 2, Endeavour, “Against Slopulism”, in Counter-Currents, archived from the original on 21 Jun 2025:Critics suggest that Fernández, an unashamed populist and nationalist, is seeking to deflect attention from social disharmony at home.
2013 January 3, Luke Harding, Uki Goni, The Guardian, archived from the original on 08 Jun 2023:On top of all that, rightwing populists and leftwing progressives have made significant inroads into western politics.
2022 March 8, Andrew Anthony, “Liberalism and Its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama review – a defence of liberalism… from a former neocon”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 13 Jul 2023:
-
A politician who advocates specific policies just because they are popular.
-
A person who advocates democratic principles.
Forms
Deriveds
macropopulist · ecopopulist · sadopopulism · pseudopopulist · flopulist · technopopulist · prepopulist · slopulist · sadopopulist · neopopulist · antipopulist
Translations (91)
sq populiste (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · uk популі́ст (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ru попули́стка (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · cmn 民粹主義者 /民粹主义者 (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · hu populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · es populista (person who advocates populism) · tg популист (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ko 포퓰리스트 (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ga pobalóir (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · uz populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · he פופוליסט (person who advocates populism) · eo popolisto (person who advocates populism) · cs populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · cmn 民粹主義者 /民粹主义者 (person who advocates populism) · cmn 平民主義者 /平民主义者 (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · nl populiste (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ja ポピュリスト (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sh попу̀лист (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · tr popülist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sq populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ar شَعْبَوِيّ (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · hy պոպուլիստ (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · cs populista (person who advocates populism) · pl populistka (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · uk народо́вець (person who advocates democratic principles) · ca populista (person who advocates populism) · ko 대중주의자 (person who advocates populism) · pt populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · fr populiste (person who advocates populism) · de Populistin (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · uk наро́дниця (person who advocates democratic principles) · sk populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · da populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sl populistka (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · lt populistė (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · lv populiste (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · et populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ru наро́дник (person who advocates democratic principles) · la plebicola (person who advocates populism) · nb populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · mn ардач (person who advocates democratic principles) · ko 포퓰리스트 (person who advocates populism) · kk халықшыл (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · hu populista (person who advocates populism) · hy պոպուլիստ (person who advocates populism) · sh popùlist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · cs populistka (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · es populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · it populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · el λαϊκίστρια (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · de Populist (person who advocates populism) · be папулі́ст (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · mn популист (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · fi populisti (person who advocates populism) · lt populistas (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · fa-ira پوپولیسْت (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · cs demokrat (person who advocates democratic principles) · ar شَعْبَوِيَّة (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sl populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · fr populiste (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ka პოპულისტი (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · be папулі́стка (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ro populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sv populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · de Populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · sk populistka (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ky популист (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ru наро́дница (person who advocates democratic principles) · uk наро́дник (person who advocates democratic principles) · ro populistă (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · he פופוליסט (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · is popúlisti (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · uk популі́стка (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · pl populista (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · fi demokraatti (person who advocates democratic principles) · fi populisti (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · ru попули́ст (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · da populist (person who advocates populism) · cmn 人民黨員 /人民党员 (person who advocates democratic principles) · az populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · lv populists (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · nl populist (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · gl populista (person who advocates populism) · pt populista (person who advocates populism) · mk попули́ст (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · el λαϊκιστής (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · bg попули́ст (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · mk попули́стка (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · kk халықшыл (person who advocates democratic principles) · fa-ira عَوامگَرا (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular) · bg попули́стка (politician who advocates policies just because they are popular)