communist

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A member of a formally constituted Communist Party.

   ...all through the between-war years no Socialist programme that was both revolutionary and workable ever appeared; basically, no doubt, because no one genuinely wanted any major change to happen... The Communists wanted to go on and on, suffering a comfortable martyrdom, meeting with endless defeats and afterwards putting the blame on other people.

2. 2
   noun

   Any member of an organization, especially a military force, controlled and led by a formally constituted Communist Party, even if most individual members of the organization are not party members.

   For example, what will happen if a landing is achieved and the Communists are advancing with some success?

3. 3
   adj

   relating to or marked by communism

4. 4
   noun

   a socialist who advocates communism

5. 5
   adj

   Of, relating to, supporting, or advocating communism.

6. 6
   noun

   An advocate of a society based on the common ownership of property; a proponent of communism.

7. 7
   noun

   Any revolutionary or subversive radical.

8. 8
   noun

   A proponent of the kind of communism formally espoused by such a party, typically either Marxism, or more commonly, Leninism or Maoism.

Etymology

From French communiste, from commun (“common, communal”) + -iste (“-ist”). By surface analysis, commune + -ist.