Activist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.tɪ.vɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who campaigns vigorously for political or social change through organized action and public advocacy
2. An individual committed to undertaking organized efforts in order to promote and advocate for significant societal, political, or environmental reforms through active engagement
3. A person dedicated to advocating for political, social, or environmental issues by engaging in organized activities and efforts to drive change

Etymology: "Activist" is a plain compound of "active" and the suffix "-ist", which denotes a person who practises or supports something. The adjective "active" arrived in English through Old French "actif" from Latin "activus", which was built from "agere", "to do" or "to drive", and that same Latin root gives English "agent", "action" and "agenda". The suffix "-ist" came into English through Old French "-iste" from Latin "-ista", ultimately from Greek "-istēs", and it is attached to many words to name a practitioner, as in "pianist" or "cyclist". The formation is therefore transparent: an activist is, literally, someone who is "doing" in an active way. The noun appears in English only once the adjective had settled into its modern sense of being engaged in action, so the word grew out of a broader, everyday idea of activity before it came to name people working for political or social change.

Synonyms: campaigner, advocate, crusader, reformer, protester

Antonyms: apathist, indifferent, passive, nonparticipant, bystander