opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nis·tic
ˌä-pər-tü-ˈni-stik 
-tyü-
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: such as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle (see principle sense 1) or consequences
a politician considered opportunistic
an opportunistic investment
b
: feeding on whatever food is available
opportunistic feeders
opportunistic bears
c
: being or caused by a usually harmless microorganism that can become pathogenic when the host's resistance is impaired
opportunistic infections
opportunistic diseases
Examples of opportunistic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The New Day continued to work with The Creeds with no issues, but an opportunistic Xavier Woods rolled up Julius Creed for the win.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Therefore, the purchase of non-U.S. assets might simply indicate an opportunistic shift by global investors toward the sensible goal of diversification.
—Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2025
Such opportunistic aggression has occurred regularly throughout history, such as when America focused heavily on deterring a Soviet invasion of Europe but was then surprised and unprepared ...
—Mark Melton, National Review, 23 May 2025
Around 1,125 to 1,200 years ago, pollen from crops such as maize and opportunistic herbs surged, at the same time tree pollen dropped, reflecting widespread deforestation.
—Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
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Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Therefore, the purchase of non-U.S. assets might simply indicate an opportunistic shift by global investors toward the sensible goal of diversification.
—Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2025
Such opportunistic aggression has occurred regularly throughout history, such as when America focused heavily on deterring a Soviet invasion of Europe but was then surprised and unprepared ...
—Mark Melton, National Review, 23 May 2025
Around 1,125 to 1,200 years ago, pollen from crops such as maize and opportunistic herbs surged, at the same time tree pollen dropped, reflecting widespread deforestation.
—Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportunistic. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportunistic
noun
op·por·tu·nis·tic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
: taking advantage of opportunities as they arise: as
a
: exploiting opportunities with little regard to principle or consequences
an opportunistic cheater
b
: feeding on whatever food is available
opportunistic feeders
Medical Definition
opportunistic
adjective
op·por·tu·nist·ic
-t(y)ü-ˈnis-tik
1
: of, relating to, or being a microorganism that is usually harmless but can become pathogenic when the host's resistance to disease is impaired
2
: of, relating to, or being an infection or disease caused by an opportunistic organism
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and other opportunistic infections that kill AIDS patients—New York Times
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