activist

1 of 2

noun

ac·​tiv·​ist ˈak-ti-vist 

plural activists

: one who advocates or practices activism : a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

Antiwar activists were protesting in the streets.

an environmental activist

political activists

The conventional wisdom is that young people no longer care enough to stand up for what is important; that the days of activism and protest have faded into the past, the bailiwick of aging hippies and activists.

—The Easton (Massachusetts) Journal

activistic

ˌak-ti-ˈvi-stik 

adjective

What is news to me … is how much alike were the fears and concerns of both activistic Democrats and skeptical Republicans …

—Nathan Glazer

activist

2 of 2

adjective

: advocating or practicing activism : using or supporting strong actions in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

For the activist groups that will carry the nomination fight to the public, the name of the game is hit early and often.

—Richard Lacayo

Pressing demands that are both global and granular, the activist investor has turned himself into one of the food sector's most influential players, affecting how millions of people eat each day.

—Julie Jargon

They plan to become activist shareholders who will protest global-warming resolutions and anything else that undermines corporate profitability.

—John J. Miller

Examples of activist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Chinese Communist Party leaders have accused the NED of trying to destabilize the country by supporting Tibetan, Uyghur and Hong Kong human rights activists. —Frank Langfitt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025

Bode, the disability rights activist who became the first wheelchair user to play the role of Nessarose in Wicked in Jon M. Chu’s film, will receive the NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Changemaker Award. —Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Oscar history is rife with controversies and shocking incidents, including Marlon Brando sending an activist onstage to protest the treatment of Native Americans in Hollywood in 1973, the infamous Best Picture mixup in 2017, and the slap heard around the world in 2022. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025

In 2024, Gaines became the first brand ambassador for the activist sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1917, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

activist

noun

ac·​tiv·​ist

ˈak-ti-vəst

: a person who believes in forceful action (as a mass demonstration) for political purposes

activism

-ˌviz-əm

noun