opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nis·tic
ˌä-pər-tü-ˈni-stik 
-tyü-
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: such as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle (see principle sense 1) or consequences
a politician considered opportunistic
an opportunistic investment
b
: feeding on whatever food is available
opportunistic feeders
opportunistic bears
c
: being or caused by a usually harmless microorganism that can become pathogenic when the host's resistance is impaired
opportunistic infections
opportunistic diseases
Examples of opportunistic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This has increased scrutiny from opportunistic lawyers, leading to more litigation.
—
Will Sweeney, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
And Vizio’s corporate parent, Walmart, has also looked to ink opportunistic deals, offering Paramount+ (which has 72 million subs as a standalone streaming service) as a bonus for subscribers to its Amazon Prime-like service Walmart+.
—Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Logging can also leave behind more combustible species like cheatgrass, an opportunistic invasive that thrives in disturbed areas and is near-impossible to eradicate.
—Elizabeth Miller, Outside Online, 12 Jan. 2025
Most of that offense has come at even strength for the opportunistic finisher, which should only boost his case if another forward is needed.
—Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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Will Sweeney, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
And Vizio’s corporate parent, Walmart, has also looked to ink opportunistic deals, offering Paramount+ (which has 72 million subs as a standalone streaming service) as a bonus for subscribers to its Amazon Prime-like service Walmart+.
—Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
Logging can also leave behind more combustible species like cheatgrass, an opportunistic invasive that thrives in disturbed areas and is near-impossible to eradicate.
—Elizabeth Miller, Outside Online, 12 Jan. 2025
Most of that offense has come at even strength for the opportunistic finisher, which should only boost his case if another forward is needed.
—Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for opportunistic
Dictionary Entries Near opportunistic
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunistic. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunistic
noun
op·por·tu·nis·tic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle or consequences
an opportunistic cheater
b
: feeding on whatever food is available
opportunistic feeders
Medical Definition
opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nist·ic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
1
: of, relating to, or being a microorganism that is usually harmless but can become pathogenic when the host's resistance to disease is impaired
2
: of, relating to, or being an infection or disease caused by an opportunistic organism
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and other opportunistic infections that kill AIDS patients—New York Times
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