Leftist Meaning
/ˈlɛf.tɪst/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who holds views associated with the political left.
nounSomeone who holds socialist or communist-leaning economic views, usually alongside progressive social views; an anticapitalist.
Sentence Examples
Mary is a leftist.
Gittel is a leftist.
I'm leftist and my left hand is dominant.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ politician promised to raise taxes on the rich to fund social programs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The political commentator is known for his strong ____ views and often writes articles about social justice issues.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English left Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English leftist From left + -ist.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The first major clash between the two groups occurred in Shih-ho-tzu on January 26, 1967, with the leftists admitting they had suffered a bloody defeat."
— 1976, June Teufel Dreyer, China's Forty Millions: Minority Nationalities and National Integration in the People's Republic of China, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 214:
"In law school, when we students thought the outcome of a case was determined by a rule we had studied, leftist professors admonished us, “Tools not rules!” In other words, rules control nothing; they’re merely tools you manipulate for the results you want. The fancy word for this kind of amorality is “instrumentalism,” and it subverts the rule of law."
— 2023 November 29 – December 5, Rob Natelson, “Why I Still Doubt the 2020 Election”, in The Epoch Times, U.S. edition, number 488, A, page 17:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ politician promised to raise taxes on the rich to fund social programs.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The political commentator is known for his strong ____ views and often writes articles about social justice issues.