anarchist

C2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈæn.ɚ.kɪst/ UK /ˈæn.ə.kɪst/ See IPA manual

Freq #16190

Meanings

1

noun
a person who advocates anarchism, seeking a society organized without a coercive state or imposed hierarchy

The anarchist argued that voluntary associations could replace centralized government.
2

noun
a person who rejects established authority or convention, especially in a deliberately rebellious way

The artist described herself as an anarchist who refused every institutional rule.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who advocates... anti-authoritarianadvocate of anarchism

2 noun · a person who rejects... rebel iconoclast

Opposites

authoritarianstatist

Word family

Forms anarchistic

Derived forms anarchisticanti-anarchistcrypto-anarchisteco-anarchist

Related forms anarchism anarchy libertariananti-authoritarianism

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

anarchist communism
a political theory combining the rejection of state authority with common ownership of productive resources

Noun + noun

Etymology

Through French anarchiste from anarchie, 'anarchy,' plus the agent suffix -iste. The deeper source is Greek anarkhos, 'without a ruler,' formed from an-, 'without,' and arkhos, 'ruler.' The political sense refers to opposition to coercive hierarchy, not simply a preference for disorder.

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# anarchist

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈæn.ɚ.kɪst/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈæn.ə.kɪst/
**Frequency rank:** 16190

## Meanings
1. a person who advocates anarchism, seeking a society organized without a coercive state or imposed hierarchy
2. a person who rejects established authority or convention, especially in a deliberately rebellious way

## Examples
- The anarchist argued that voluntary associations could replace centralized government.
- The artist described herself as an anarchist who refused every institutional rule.

## Synonyms
- anti-authoritarian
- rebel
- iconoclast

## Antonyms
- authoritarian
- statist

## Derived Forms
- anarchistic
- anti-anarchist
- crypto-anarchist
- eco-anarchist

## Related Forms
- anarchism
- anarchy
- libertarian
- anti-authoritarianism

## Etymology
Through French anarchiste from anarchie, 'anarchy,' plus the agent suffix -iste. The deeper source is Greek anarkhos, 'without a ruler,' formed from an-, 'without,' and arkhos, 'ruler.' The political sense refers to opposition to coercive hierarchy, not simply a preference for disorder.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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