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
The chaos that ensued shows how the drip of online conspiracy and radicalization, driven by algorithms and exploited by opportunists, has warped political discourse in democratic societies.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Possessed with overly optimistic notions of what will await them in Europe along with a minimal but decent amount of cash, the duo become easy targets for opportunists, and barely survive a horrific stint in a North African prison after their arduous trek through the Sahara desert.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024
Haley goes back and forth on Confederate flag There are those among Haley’s former constituents who see her as more of an opportunist, said Larry Watson, a history professor at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
The idea that Harding might have been assassinated wasn’t confined to craven opportunists or the crackpot fringe.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Warren: Being an opportunist in the right way, that means grabbing every opportunity.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Footage from a camera near the home's front door, which Dr. M's family shared with Southlake DPS, clearly shows an opportunist opossum burgled the baked goods.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
But the move by Colorado’s justices invigorated the dump-Trump movement and catalyzed opportunists like California’s lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023
To thrive in so many different environments, felines became opportunists.
—Celia Ford, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023
Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Possessed with overly optimistic notions of what will await them in Europe along with a minimal but decent amount of cash, the duo become easy targets for opportunists, and barely survive a horrific stint in a North African prison after their arduous trek through the Sahara desert.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024
Haley goes back and forth on Confederate flag There are those among Haley’s former constituents who see her as more of an opportunist, said Larry Watson, a history professor at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
The idea that Harding might have been assassinated wasn’t confined to craven opportunists or the crackpot fringe.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Warren: Being an opportunist in the right way, that means grabbing every opportunity.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Footage from a camera near the home's front door, which Dr. M's family shared with Southlake DPS, clearly shows an opportunist opossum burgled the baked goods.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
But the move by Colorado’s justices invigorated the dump-Trump movement and catalyzed opportunists like California’s lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023
To thrive in so many different environments, felines became opportunists.
—Celia Ford, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023
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 19 Apr. 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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