Meaning & use
environmentalist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person who works to protect the natural world from damage.
Grammar: Countable noun: an environmentalist, two environmentalists.
Patterns
- a passionate environmentalist
- environmentalist groups
My aunt is a committed environmentalist and cycles everywhere.
Environmentalists are urging the government to protect the forest.
As an environmentalist, she avoids single-use plastics.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to people or policies that aim to protect the natural world.
Grammar: Used before a noun: environmentalist ideas, environmentalist policies.
Patterns
- environmentalist policies
- an environmentalist approach
The party promised a more environmentalist approach to energy.
His environmentalist views sometimes clash with his business interests.
Word forms
| plural | environmentalists |
|---|
Common combinations
- a committed environmentalist
- She has been a committed environmentalist since she was a teenager.
- environmentalist groups
- Environmentalist groups criticized the new mining project.
- a leading environmentalist
- A leading environmentalist spoke at the conference.
- environmentalist policies
- The city introduced environmentalist policies to cut pollution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conservationist
- Focuses more on protecting specific natural resources or wildlife, while environmentalist covers the whole environment.
- ecologist
- Can mean a scientist who studies ecosystems, not just an activist.
- green
- Informal and often used for policies or people; environmentalist is more formal and specific.
Word family
- environment noun
- The natural world or the conditions around you.
- environmental adjective
- Relating to the natural world or surroundings.
- environmentalism noun
- The movement or belief in protecting the environment.
Commonly confused: environmentalist or environmental?
environmentalist vs environmental
Environmental is an adjective (environmental damage); environmentalist is mainly a noun for a person.
Practice
She became an ___ after seeing the polluted river.
Choose one answer.
We need a noun for a person, so environmentalist is correct. Environmental is an adjective, and environmentalism is the movement, not a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “environmentalist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.