Opportunistic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɒp.əˌtjuːˈnɪs.tɪk/

Definitions

1. Taking advantage of situations or circumstances to gain benefit, often without regard for principles or consequences
2. Exploiting chances that arise in order to achieve personal gain, frequently overlooking ethical considerations or potential repercussions
3. Seizing favorable circumstances to secure benefits, usually at the expense of moral integrity or foresight

Etymology: "Opportunistic" is "opportunist" with the adjective-forming ending "-ic" added to it. The base word, "opportunist," is itself built on "opportune," which comes from Latin "opportunus," meaning "fit, convenient, or favourable," literally "before the harbour" or "toward the port," from "ob" plus "portus," a harbour. A ship that arrived at the right moment was, in that sense, opportune. The ending "-ic" has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Proto-Indo-European suffix meaning "having the character of," and it reached English through Latin "-icus," which Old French then carried as "-ique." Middle English took it up as "-ik," and modern English settled it as "-ic," so the suffix has been attaching itself to words for well over a thousand years. Because "opportunist" was formed from "opportune" and then given "-ic," "opportunistic" is a derivative of a derivative. The result describes behaviour that seizes whatever chance presents itself, which is a neat echo of that original image of a vessel arriving at a convenient port.

Synonyms: exploitative, cunning

Antonyms: principled, ethical