Anticapitalists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collective of people who resist the principles of capitalism and seek to create alternative economic systems
2. Individuals who argue against capitalist ideologies and advocate for social and economic restructuring
3. A group that opposes capitalist systems while promoting alternative economic structures through activism and philosophical debate

Etymology: "Anticapitalists" is the plural of "anticapitalist," a noun for a person who opposes capitalism. It is formed from the prefix "anti-," meaning "against," attached to "capitalist," which in turn comes from "capital," the word for accumulated wealth or resources used to produce more wealth. The prefix is Greek in origin, arriving in English through Latin and French usage, and it has been attached freely to political terms for centuries. The base word traces back to the Latin "capitalis," meaning "of the head" or "chief," derived from "caput," head. Its link to money came through the idea of a principal sum, the chief amount of a debt or investment as distinct from the interest it earned. From there "capital" came to mean the wealth itself, and "capitalist" to mean someone who owned such wealth. Because "anticapitalist" is built transparently from parts that already existed, its meaning is clear from its construction: one who stands against the capitalist system of private ownership of capital and the pursuit of profit through it.

Synonyms: socialists, communists

Antonyms: capitalists