grassroots

[gras-roots, -roots, grahs-] / ˈgræsˌruts, -ˌrʊts, ˈgrɑs- /

NOUN

ordinary citizens

Synonyms

WEAK

Middle America common people hoi polloi laboring class middle class proletariat rank and file the masses wage-earners working class working people

ADJECTIVE

involving ordinary people, rather than politicians

Synonyms

STRONG

democratic local middle-class neighborhood provincial working-class

WEAK

broad-based everyday popular populist widespread

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I think it also reflects grassroots anger and a desire to do something.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

There are primaries in four states on Tuesday, and two marquee Republican contests in South Carolina are set to be another test of Trump's sway with his party's grassroots.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

While Pele was popularising a game he'd learned barefoot on the streets of Brazil, much of the American grassroots version was being built on privilege.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

A truly grassroots effort, Global Beatles Day has slowly but surely emerged as a bona fide tradition over the years, celebrated annually around the world on June 25.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

He didn’t just want to change Haiti at a grassroots level.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Vocabulary lists containing grassroots

Idioms and Expressions, List 4

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Civics II

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Earth Day

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