noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AA2 P ER0 T UW1 N IH2 Z AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of taking advantage of any situations or people to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The political line of Communist Party members who zealously support the Party, but whose trait is that they yield to the mood of the moment, they are unable to resist what is fashionable, leading to the sacrifice of the permanent and essential interests of the Party to the momentary and minor interests.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Marxism, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the consequences for others
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: self-interest, self-seeking, expedience
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: selfishness
History
Etymology
From French opportunisme, equivalent to opportune + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
oportunizëm
— the taking of opportunities
Armenian:
օպորտունիզմ
(ōportunizm)
— the taking of opportunities
Catalan:
oportunisme
— the taking of opportunities
Chinese Mandarin:
機會主義 /机会主义
(jīhuìzhǔyì)
— the taking of opportunities
Chinese Mandarin:
投機 /投机
(tóujī)
— the taking of opportunities
Chinese Mandarin:
投機主義 /投机主义
(tóujīzhǔyì)
— the taking of opportunities
Czech:
oportunizmus
— the taking of opportunities
Danish:
opportunisme
— the taking of opportunities
Esperanto:
oportunismo
— the taking of opportunities
Finnish:
opportunismi
— the taking of opportunities
French:
opportunisme
— the taking of opportunities
Galician:
oportunismo
— the taking of opportunities
German:
Opportunismus
— the taking of opportunities
Indonesian:
oportunisme
— the taking of opportunities
Japanese:
日和見主義
(hiyorimi shyugi)
— the taking of opportunities
Japanese:
御都合主義
(gotsugō shyugi)
— the taking of opportunities
Japanese:
便乗
(binjō)
— the taking of opportunities
Korean:
편의주의
(pyeonuijuui)
— the taking of opportunities
Korean:
기회주의
(gihoejuui)
— the taking of opportunities
Malayalam:
അവസരവാദിത്വം
(avasaravāditvaṁ)
— the taking of opportunities
Polish:
oportunizm
— the taking of opportunities
Portuguese:
oportunismo
— the taking of opportunities
Russian:
оппортунизм
(opportunizm)
— the taking of opportunities
Serbo-Croatian:
oportunizam
— the taking of opportunities
Spanish:
oportunismo
— the taking of opportunities
Spanish:
pancismo
— the taking of opportunities
Turkish:
fırsatçılık
— the taking of opportunities
Welsh:
manteisiaeth
— the taking of opportunities
Chinese Mandarin:
機會主義 /机会主义
(jīhuìzhǔyì)
— Marxist terminology
