Putschist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpʊtʃɪst/

Definitions

1. A person who is actively involved in a rapid and forceful attempt to remove a governing authority An individual participating in a coup aimed at toppling and replacing the existing government Someone who takes part in a violent revolt intended to assume political power from those in charge
2. One who takes part in a swift and decisive attempt to seize control of a government by force
3. An individual involved in a rapid and abrupt effort to replace current political leadership

Etymology: "Putschist" is a German loanword that English took directly from German "Putschist," a formation built from "Putsch" plus the suffix "-ist," meaning someone who belongs to or acts in a particular cause or practice. The suffix is the familiar one from words like "artist" and "socialist," so the noun simply names a person who carries out a putsch. The base word "Putsch" is the more interesting part. It is a German term for a sudden, forceful attempt to seize power, and it entered English as "putsch," often used to describe a rapid, violent move against an existing government. Because the word arrived already built, English speakers adopted the whole structure at once, and "putschist" follows the same pattern as other political nouns formed from a German base and an agent suffix.