opportunist

noun

op·​por·​tun·​ist ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist How to pronounce opportunist (audio)
-ˈtyü-
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
a slick, shady, amoral opportunist who has only one desire: to get through life without a day of laborAllan Ulrich
Most burglars are opportunists.
opportunist adjective

Examples of opportunist in a Sentence

a political opportunist who changed his health-care plan to win the election ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rhee noted that such privileges have fed into less favorable views of Korean Americans as spoiled opportunists — fair-weather Koreans who had left the country when things were tough only to return now that the going is good. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 What’s new, though, is his whole narrative, a multipart boardroom saga from the perspective of a developer who was repeatedly cast as a rapacious opportunist. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024 Whereas Vance, with his previous flip-flops on Trump, comes across as an opportunist, Kelly’s reasons for getting into politics could hardly be more compelling. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024 In clinical conditions such as hospitals, these opportunist pathogens can be life-threatening. Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for opportunist 

Word History

Etymology

opportun(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French opportuniste

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of opportunist was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near opportunist

Cite this Entry

“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunist. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

opportunist

noun
op·​por·​tun·​ist -ˈt(y)ü-nəst How to pronounce opportunist (audio)
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
opportunist adjective

Medical Definition

opportunist

noun
op·​por·​tun·​ist ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-nəst How to pronounce opportunist (audio)
: an opportunistic microorganism

More from Merriam-Webster on opportunist

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