pop·u·list
ˈpä-pyə-list 
plural populists
1
a
: a supporter of populism : a participant in or advocate of a populist movement
… ran as a fiery populist, criticizing Wall Street banks and bailouts.—
Bill Allison
Bill Allison… a leftist populist won the presidency with widespread support from the country's working class on his promise to put the poor first.—Kate Linthicum
Kate Linthicum… faces the added challenge of positioning himself as a conservative populist—a skeptic of corporations inside a party often allied with them …—Kristina Karisch and Alexis Simendinger
Kristina Karisch and Alexis Simendinger
b
: a member of a political party claiming to represent ordinary people against the Establishment (see establishment sense 2a)
especially,
often Populist plural Populists
: a member of a U.S. political party formed in 1891 primarily to represent agrarian interests and to call for the free coinage of silver and government control of monopolies
2
: a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people
… civic populists like Andrew Carnegie, who built hundreds of libraries in small towns, and Bill Gates, whose foundation ministers to global masses.—Christopher Glazek
Christopher Glazek1
: of, relating to, or characterized by populism (see populism sense 1) or political populists (see populist entry 1 sense 1b)
Campaign finance reform is usually sold as a populist means to strengthen the power of "ordinary" citizens against dominant, big-money interests.—Anthony Corrado
Anthony CorradoHistorically, populist movements use the rhetoric of class solidarity to seize political power so that "the people" can exercise it for their common benefit.—Mark Lill
Mark Lill… populist reluctance to devote public resources drawn from all to the benefit of a few.—Carolyn Lougee
Carolyn Lougee… blue-collar, downscale voters who are economically populist and socially moderate.—Jonathan Chait
Jonathan Chait
specifically,
often Populist
: of or relating to the Populist (see populist entry 1 sense 1b) political party formed in 1891
American mistrust of big business dates back to the Populist movement at the turn of the century, when the nation's key antitrust laws were adopted. —Kathryn Harris
Kathryn Harris … in 1896 ran … on the Populist ticket … —Alan Blinder
Alan Blinder 2
: appealing to most people : having qualities that people tend to like and understand : popular
This wine is a blend of traditional Portuguese grapes. … It's as polished as the most aristocratic red Bordeaux, but the price is more populist at $17.—Matt Kramer
Matt KramerHe is a populist gourmet. … More arugula, please. But let me have some fries with that.—A. O. Scott
A. O. ScottExamples of populist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Editors, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
The conservative populist Pat Buchanan was an early darling of the Russian right.
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Before Trump’s election and the start of the cross-border trade war, the Liberals, who have been in power in Canada since 2015, were heading for certain defeat with the Conservatives, led by populist right-winger Pierre Poilievre, tipped to take over in Ottawa.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populist
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.
Noun
Trump has ensured that there will be a premium on tough-on-U.S. rhetoric in the impending election between Trudeau’s Liberal replacement, Mark Carney, and the talented Conservative populist Pierre Poilievre.
—The Editors, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
The conservative populist Pat Buchanan was an early darling of the Russian right.
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Despite Trump’s populist messaging on the campaign trail, his administration is one of the wealthiest in US history, with more than a dozen billionaires and mega-millionaires on staff.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Before Trump’s election and the start of the cross-border trade war, the Liberals, who have been in power in Canada since 2015, were heading for certain defeat with the Conservatives, led by populist right-winger Pierre Poilievre, tipped to take over in Ottawa.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for populist
Cite this Entry
“Populist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share