Cryptocommunist

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A person who supports communist ideology while operating through secret or underground means rather than open political activity
2. An advocate of communism who believes in covert action or hidden organizing to advance revolutionary goals
3. Someone committed to communist principles who works through concealed methods and clandestine organization

Etymology: Cryptocommunist is a plain compound, and its surprising part is what the prefix brings with it. "Crypto-" comes from the Ancient Greek "kruptos," meaning "hidden" or "concealed," and it was attached to "communist" to describe someone who secretly holds communist views while appearing to be something else. The sense of hidden allegiance, rather than any literal crypt or secret vault, is what the prefix contributes. The base word traces back through Latin "communis," meaning "common" or "shared," which passed through Old French "comun" and French "communiste" before reaching English as "communist." The suffix "-ist" comes from Latin "-ista" through French "-iste," and it marks a person who follows or adheres to a doctrine. So the full word stacks a Greek prefix of concealment onto a Latin-derived term for shared ownership and a suffix denoting a believer.