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
In clinical conditions such as hospitals, these opportunist pathogens can be life-threatening.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Pic is about a ring of enterprising boosters (aka shoplifters, equal opportunists), who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024
Motion sensors will sound the alarm if movement is detected while the bike is locked, and if that doesn't put off would-be opportunists, real-time GPS tracking is included too.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2024
The profit motive is reflected in the nature of the vandalism, which is often more organized than opportunist.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist 
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.
Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Pic is about a ring of enterprising boosters (aka shoplifters, equal opportunists), who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024
Motion sensors will sound the alarm if movement is detected while the bike is locked, and if that doesn't put off would-be opportunists, real-time GPS tracking is included too.
—Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2024
The profit motive is reflected in the nature of the vandalism, which is often more organized than opportunist.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist
Dictionary Entries Near opportunist
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunist. Accessed 21 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share