English Reference
noun

socialist

n.
US /ˈsoʊʃəɫəst/ UK /sˈəʊʃəlˌɪst/ so·cial·ist UK spelling socialist's, socialist's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Politics

    someone who believes in socialism and thinks the government should help share wealth and resources fairly.

    an individual who supports or advocates for the principles of socialism, typically emphasizing social ownership and the reduction of economic inequality.

    Simple

    As a lifelong socialist, he always voted for policies that funded public hospitals and schools.

    In context

    The candidate described himself as a democratic socialist, arguing that essential services like healthcare should never be run for private profit.

    leftistcollectivist
    capitalistindividualist

It said Hui’s actions had “severely disrupted the order of the socialist market economy” and “caused exceptionally heavy economic losses”.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

Decree 5503 introduces radical economic reforms, such as eliminating state fuel subsidies, that target policies put in place under Bolivia’s former socialist government.

Al Jazeera· 18 Aug 2026

From social + -ist.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated