opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌä-pər-ˈtü-nist 
-ˈtyü-
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
a slick, shady, amoral opportunist who has only one desire: to get through life without a day of labor—
Allan Ulrich
Allan UlrichMost burglars are opportunists.
opportunist
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of opportunist in a Sentence
a political opportunist who changed his health-care plan to win the election
ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend
Recent Examples on the Web
However, an opportunist might look at the situation and conclude the Kraken aren’t in a particularly strong position to maximize their asset’s trade value, making Gourde an attractive buy-low candidate.
—Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians.
—Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
For a quarter century we have been misled by a chorus of neocon war hawks, defense industry profiteers, think tank courtiers and media opportunists.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed the California National Guard and military police to LA County to protect residents from looters, arsonists, and other criminal opportunists.
—John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for opportunist 
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Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians.
—Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
For a quarter century we have been misled by a chorus of neocon war hawks, defense industry profiteers, think tank courtiers and media opportunists.
—Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024
Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed the California National Guard and military police to LA County to protect residents from looters, arsonists, and other criminal opportunists.
—John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for opportunist
Dictionary Entries Near opportunist
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunist. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: one that is opportunistic or that practices opportunism
opportunist
adjective
Medical Definition
opportunist
noun
op·por·tun·ist
ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ü-nəst
: an opportunistic microorganism
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