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.

Organisers said the event resonated a powerful message of solidarity and was a grassroots response to the ecological plight of the UK and Ireland's largest freshwater lake.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

But it does let marketers test products in the wild, conduct grassroots consumer research and speak precisely to a ready-made target audience, proponents say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Events on motherhood, the legacy of new Labour and grassroots football are also part of the programme.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The golf industry is beginning to adapt to these pressures, but local golf courses must lead at the grassroots level.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

He’d collaborated with grassroots leaders, everyday citizens, and elected officials, and almost miraculously it had yielded results.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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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