leftist
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Pronunciation
- /ˈlɛf.tɪst/[1]
Etymology
It is formed from English left + -ist, from left in the political sense.[2][3][4][5] The OED compares French gauchiste, recorded as an adjective from 1839, and rightist.[2] The political sense of left comes from the custom of seating the more democratic or liberal members on the left side of a legislative chamber, first recorded in English in 1837, by Carlyle, of the French Revolution.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
A person who supports a party, group or cause on the left of politics: 1890, in the Boston Post.[2]
Semantic evolution
The adjective followed in 1895, in the Milwaukee Sentinel;[2] Etymonline dates the adjective to 1897,[3] and Dictionary.com the word to 1920–25.[5] Merriam-Webster notes that it is often written with a capital.[4]
Timeline
- 1890 – noun, a supporter of the political left.[2]
- 1895 – adjective, of or relating to the left.[2]
- 1897 – adjective, according to Etymonline.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- A member or supporter of a left-wing party or group; a person who holds the views of the political left: Several leftists resigned from the coalition.[4][2]
Adjective
- Of, relating to or favouring the political left or its principles, such as reform and progressive causes.[4][2]
Word family
- leftism
- ultraleftist
Related words
- left
- rightist
- left-wing
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House