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

Most burglars are opportunists.

opportunist adjective

Synonyms of opportunist

• chameleon

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

But instead of celebrating that success, Andi is worried she’ll be seen as an opportunist rather than a legitimate co-author. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Some amalgam of fan input, ticket sales, ratings, and media outrage determines what’s right and wrong, and this collective taste shifts more slowly than the behavior of front-office opportunists. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026

Musk, as the documentary makes clear, is a genuine if flawed technocratic visionary, a messianic opportunist, and something of a crackpot. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026

In Chicago, perpetrators are a mix of opportunists and more sophisticated networks often tied to street gangs. — Kiel Porter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

opportun(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French opportuniste

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for opportunist

• cartoonist
• soonest

Kids 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