adj · 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˌɒp.əˌtjuːˈnɪs.tɪk/
UK:/ˌɒp.əˌt͡ʃ(j)uːˈnɪs.tɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˌɑ.pɚˌt(j)uːˈnɪs.tɪk/
CMU ARPABET:AA2 P ER0 T UW2 N IH1 S T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Taking advantage of situations that arise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The danger now isn't so much from the AIDS virus itself as from opportunistic infections.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Taking advantage of situations to advance one's own interests without regard for moral principles.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
You can't trust somebody that opportunistic: he'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: opportunist, timeserving
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English opportunist Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English opportunistic From opportunist + -ic.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
oportunista
— taking advantage of situations that arise
French:
opportun
— taking advantage of situations that arise
Georgian:
ოპორტუნისტული
(oṗorṭunisṭuli)
— taking advantage of situations that arise
Indonesian:
oportunistis
— taking advantage of situations that arise
Malay:
oportunistik
— taking advantage of situations that arise
Spanish:
oportunista
— taking advantage of situations that arise
Catalan:
oportunista
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Dutch:
opportunistisch
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
French:
opportuniste
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
French:
profiteur
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Galician:
oportunista
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Georgian:
ოპორტუნისტული
(oṗorṭunisṭuli)
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
German:
opportunistisch
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Japanese:
日和る
(hiyoru)
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Portuguese:
oportunista
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
Spanish:
oportunista
— said of people who will take advantage of situations
