anti-establishmentarian
|an-ti-es-tab-lish-men-tar-i-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.ɪˌstæb.lɪʃ.mənˈtɛr.i.ən/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.ɪˌstæb.lɪʃ.mənˈtɪə.ri.ən/
opposes the establishment
Etymology
'anti-establishmentarian' is formed in modern English from the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') + 'establishment' + the suffix '-arian' (denoting a person associated with a belief or movement).
'anti-' (from Greek anti- meaning 'against') combined with 'establishment' (from 'establish' + '-ment') and the agentive/adjectival suffix '-arian' (as in 'establishmentarian') produced 'anti-establishmentarian' in later 19th/20th-century English; it relates to earlier terms like 'establishmentarian' and 'anti-establishment'.
Originally built from elements meaning 'against the established order', it has retained that core sense and is used to describe people or views opposing the established institutions; its use broadened to cover cultural as well as political opposition.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who opposes the established authority, social institutions, or prevailing political power (the 'establishment').
He was labeled an anti-establishmentarian during the protests.
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Adjective 1
opposed to or critical of the establishment or prevailing social/political institutions.
She expressed anti-establishmentarian views in her speech.
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Last updated: 2026/01/01 04:13