Political Activism Vocabulary

noun A person who is employed to encourage others to break the law in order to incite prosecution

• The government suspected that the protest was infiltrated by an agent provocateur.
• They think there was an agent provocateur stirring up trouble at the rally.
• The agent provocateur was causing chaos at the event.
• She was like an agent provocateur, always provoking arguments among her friends.

noun a state of anxiety or nervous excitement

verb to make someone feel nervous, worried, or upset

adjective causing anxiety or nervousness

• The protestors were careful not to agitate the situation any further.
• I didn't mean to agitate you, I was just trying to help.
• Don't agitate him, he's already in a bad mood.
• The constant buzzing of the flies began to agitate my nerves.

noun the action of stirring or disturbing

• The political unrest caused widespread agitation among the citizens.
• She was in a state of agitation after receiving the bad news.
• Don't get yourself all worked up in agitation over a small issue.
• The stormy sea reflected the inner agitation of his mind.

noun a person who stirs up public feelings especially to promote a cause

• The political agitator was arrested for inciting violence during the protest.
• The agitator at work keeps stirring up drama between coworkers.
• That guy is such an agitator, always causing trouble wherever he goes.
• The agitator in the washing machine helps to clean clothes by creating movement and friction.

noun Black power is a political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies aimed at achieving self-determination for people of African descent.

• The civil rights movement in the 1960s was marked by the rise of the black power movement.
• Some people still proudly wear shirts with the phrase 'black power' on them.
• Black power is all about empowerment and unity within the black community.
• The athlete's performance on the field was like a display of black power, dominating the game with strength and skill.

noun a group of people organized for a particular purpose

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The fire brigade arrived quickly to extinguish the blaze.
• We joined the volunteer brigade to help clean up the park.
• That new dance crew is part of the hip-hop brigade.
• The marketing team formed a creative brigade to come up with new ideas.

verb to cause or make something happen

adverb used to modify a verb, indicating the manner in which something is done

• The new policy is expected to bring about positive changes in the company.
• I hope this new plan will bring about some good results.
• Let's see if this idea can bring about some cool stuff.
• His actions will bring about a storm of controversy.

adjective jointly arranged, planned, or carried out; coordinated

• The team made a concerted effort to finish the project ahead of schedule.
• We all worked together in a concerted way to clean up the mess.
• The group put in a concerted push to reach their sales target for the month.
• The flowers in the garden seemed to be in a concerted dance, swaying in unison with the wind.

noun open resistance; bold disobedience

adjective defiant (describes a person or behavior characterized by defiance)

• The student showed defiance by refusing to follow the school's dress code.
• She rolled her eyes in defiance when her mom told her to clean her room.
• The teenager's defiance was off the charts when he was told he couldn't go to the party.
• The artist's use of bold colors was a form of defiance against traditional painting techniques.

adverb in a group; all together

preposition in a body or mass; as a whole

• The protesters gathered en masse in the town square.
• People flocked en masse to the new restaurant opening.
• The fans stormed the concert en masse.
• The leaves fell en masse from the tree in autumn.

noun a person who annoys others or stimulates them with persistent criticism

• The gadfly of the group constantly questioned the validity of the research findings.
• She's always buzzing around like a gadfly, asking too many questions.
• Don't be such a gadfly, just go with the flow.
• The artist saw himself as a gadfly, challenging societal norms through his work.

noun ordinary people regarded as the main body of an organization's membership

• The organization started as a grass roots movement and has since grown into a global network.
• The idea for the community garden came from a grass roots effort by local residents.
• The band got its start playing in grass roots venues before making it big.
• The candidate's support among grass roots voters helped propel them to victory in the election.

noun a person who is aggressively active in a cause; an activist

adjective aggressively active, especially in support of a cause

• The government is cracking down on militant groups operating in the region.
• I heard that there are some militant protesters gathering in the city square.
• Those militants are causing a lot of trouble in the neighborhood.
• Her militant approach to solving the problem surprised everyone.

noun a large, disorderly crowd of people

verb to crowd around or attack someone in a mob

• The police were called to disperse the violent mob that had gathered outside the courthouse.
• I heard there was a mob forming at the park for a protest.
• The mob at the concert was so hyped up, they were pushing and shoving to get to the front.
• The angry customers formed a mob at the store, demanding a refund for the faulty product.

noun a group of people who try to influence public policy or decisions by exerting pressure on elected officials or government agencies

• The pressure group submitted a petition to the government requesting policy changes.
• The pressure group is organizing a protest against the new development project.
• The pressure group is really pushing for environmental regulations to be enforced.
• In the political arena, the pressure group is like a watchdog, keeping a close eye on government decisions.

verb taking part in a public demonstration in opposition to something

• The citizens were peacefully protesting outside of the government building.
• They were out there protesting with signs and chants.
• The group was straight up protesting against the new law.
• Her stomach was protesting loudly after eating the spicy food.

noun a person who stirs up the passions or prejudices of the public, usually for political or social reasons

• The politician accused the rabble rouser of inciting violence during the protest.
• Don't listen to him, he's just a rabble rouser trying to stir up trouble.
• That rabble rouser is always causing drama wherever he goes.
• She was known as a rabble rouser in the office, always challenging the status quo.

verb to cause trouble or chaos; to act disruptively or rebelliously

• The protesters threatened to raise hell if their demands were not met.
• If you don't show up to the party, we're gonna raise hell!
• The fans were ready to raise hell at the concert.
• When the CEO announced layoffs, it felt like he was raising hell in the company.

noun a mass meeting of people making a political protest or showing support for a cause

verb to come together for a common purpose or cause; to recover or rebound after a setback

• The political party organized a rally to garner support for their candidate.
• Let's go to the rally this weekend, it's going to be so much fun!
• I heard the rally last night was lit!
• The team's captain gave a motivational speech to rally the players before the game.

noun a phrase or shout that is used to inspire a group of people during a challenging situation or to unite them in a common cause

• The leader's rallying cry inspired the troops to keep fighting.
• The team's rallying cry before the game was 'win or go home!'
• The coach's rallying cry got everyone hyped up for the match.
• The environmentalist's rallying cry for conservation echoed through the halls of government.

noun a means of resisting

• The material used in the construction of the bridge has high resistance to corrosion.
• She put up a good resistance in the tennis match, but ultimately lost.
• Don't give in to peer pressure, show some resistance.
• His resistance to change is hindering the progress of the project.

verb to remove or block someone from a platform or social media site, typically due to their controversial or offensive views

• The company decided to deplatform the controversial speaker due to their inflammatory remarks.
• They're going to deplatform that guy from the event because of all the drama he causes.
• They're gonna kick that troll off the platform for spreading hate speech.
• In order to maintain a positive online environment, the moderators had to deplatform the troublemakers.

noun a person who holds extreme or radical views on social justice issues, often associated with the 'woke' movement

• The wokeist activists are pushing for more inclusive policies in the workplace.
• She's always going on about being the wokeist one in our friend group.
• Those wokeist Twitter users are constantly calling out problematic behavior online.
• The artist's work is often described as wokeist, challenging societal norms through their creations.

noun a person who denies the effectiveness or necessity of wearing masks

• The mask-denier refused to comply with the public health guidelines.
• The mask-denier keeps saying masks don't work.
• That mask-denier is just being ignorant.
• The mask-denier is blind to the importance of wearing a mask.

noun a person who believes in and advocates for laws that restrict a woman's right to choose abortion

• The forced birther movement seeks to restrict access to abortion services.
• I can't believe some forced birthers want to control women's bodies.
• Those forced birthers are just trying to force their beliefs on others.
• The politician's stance on abortion made it clear that he was a forced birther at heart.

noun A supporter or follower of Jeremy Corbyn, a British politician and former leader of the Labour Party.

• The Corbynista movement gained momentum during the last election.
• I heard that Sarah is a hardcore Corbynista.
• Those Corbynistas are always causing a stir on social media.
• Being a Corbynista means standing up for your beliefs no matter what.

noun a term used to describe internet users who engage in online activism or advocacy while wearing pajamas, often working from home or late at night

• The pajamahadeen are a group of online activists who work to promote social change through digital platforms.
• I heard the pajamahadeen are planning a virtual protest next week.
• The pajamahadeen are always causing a stir on social media.
• In the world of online activism, the pajamahadeen are the fearless warriors fighting for justice from behind their screens.

noun The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization devoted to defending and preserving the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

• The ACLU is known for defending civil liberties and fighting for constitutional rights.
• I heard that the ACLU is taking on a big case against the government.
• The ACLU is always out here fighting the good fight.
• The ACLU is like a guardian angel for those whose rights are being violated.

noun A person who is part of an advance guard, which is a group of people leading the way for an army or other group.

• The advance guardist led the team into the uncharted territory.
• The advance guardist was the first one to check out the new restaurant in town.
• The advance guardist was the ultimate trailblazer in the group.
• She was like the advance guardist of the fashion world, always ahead of the trends.