opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist 
-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 labor—
Allan Ulrich
Allan UlrichMost burglars are opportunists.
opportunist
adjective
Synonyms
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
As Jewish spy Daniel Lohr and his flame, Leah, ping-pong between local gangs, Western opportunists, Japanese occupiers, and his crime-boss uncle, they’re drawn down morally murky paths.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2024
Gantz appears to have the ability to read public sentiment and act accordingly without coming across as an opportunist.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Minneapolis is down a couple of hundred officers from a full roster, for a variety of reasons, including a not very thinly disguised disdain for law enforcement expressed in the last four years by too many political opportunists riding the hurricane of the George Floyd weekend.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 8 June 2024
The result will likely be a display of grandstanding and exaggeration, as political opportunists use the hearing to push their own agendas.
—Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, New York Daily News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist 
Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2024
Gantz appears to have the ability to read public sentiment and act accordingly without coming across as an opportunist.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
Minneapolis is down a couple of hundred officers from a full roster, for a variety of reasons, including a not very thinly disguised disdain for law enforcement expressed in the last four years by too many political opportunists riding the hurricane of the George Floyd weekend.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 8 June 2024
The result will likely be a display of grandstanding and exaggeration, as political opportunists use the hearing to push their own agendas.
—Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, New York Daily News, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opportunist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near opportunist
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunist. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
opportunist
adjective
Medical Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: an opportunistic microorganism
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