left wing

noun

plural left wings
1
: the leftist division of a group (such as a political party) : the segment of a group (such as a political party) that calls for greater adherence to liberalism (see liberalism sense 2a) or progressivism (see progressivism sense 1)
the left wing of the Democratic Party
2
: political parties and individuals who support or promote political liberalism or progressivism
sometimes, specifically : such parties and individuals who are deeply opposed to capitalism
left-wing adjective
left-wing politics
left-winger noun
plural left-wingers
the party's left-wingers

Examples of left wing in a Sentence

His nomination is supported by the party's left wing but opposed by the right wing. the left wing has lost considerable influence in the party, which is now aggressively courting political moderates
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But the Harris campaign’s momentum has blunted the power of antiwar voices of the Democratic Party’s left wing to force a shift in U.S. policy. Andrew Payne, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024 Back then, the people in charge of the shuttle program weren't aware of the damage to the leading edge of Columbia's left wing. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2024 In the House of Representatives, advocates of withdrawal included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party’s left wing, and Matt Gaetz of Florida, a Republican devotee of Trump. Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021 Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ left wing, is forty-one goals away from reaching Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for left wing 

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of left wing was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near left wing

Cite this Entry

“Left wing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/left%20wing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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