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far left

far left

28 6.3
A group in politics with very extreme left-wing views
  • adjective
  • /fɑr lɛft/
translation icon : extrema izquierda
  • The far left faction of the party often pushes for policies that challenge the status quo.

Oh, you're just a far left idiot.

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Examples

  • Because the Dems have gone so far left, the centrists had no place else to go.

    Blog text (16)
  • Has the world gone so far left that actually, you know, just being a centrist feels far right?

  • We have made it so that the far left and far right have already made their decisions.

  • Yeah, it became the new left and right or the new far left, far right, whatever.

  • I have no desire to be the rock star of the far left of this nation.

    Blog text (15)
  • I think Biden has got to appease the left, the far left of his base.

  • Radical moods are on the rise, hunger marches and strikes are increasing and the far left and far right are growing in strength.

  • They nominated George McGovern, a kind of far left candidate who lost massively to Richard Nixon that year.

  • Many members of the far left advocate for significant changes in economic policy to address social inequalities.

  • During the rally, speakers from the far left called for a complete overhaul of the political system.

Synonyms

left wing
vsfar left
19 3.9

People or groups that support more social equality and government help

is a narrower part that holds the most radical positions within that group
lunatic fringe
vsfar left
  • Offensive
4 8.8

People with very extreme political or social views who are outside the main group

is specific to the most radical side of politics rather than any side
loony left
vsfar left
  • Offensive
9.8

A rude name for people on the far left with very strong political ideas

is a neutral term for extreme views without insulting supporters

Antonyms

85 4.6

A person with political views that are not extreme

24 4.2

A person with moderate political views between the left and the right

How Left-wing

far left
28 6.3
left
406 4.3

Surface Forms

far left positive

Morphology

far + left

The sense 'the most radical or extreme left-wing part' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'far' (indicating extremity) with 'left' (political orientation). This compositional pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Far left comes from old meeting rooms and the French Revolution, where the most radical people sat on the left side and those at the very end were the far left. So, today far left means the most 'radical' or 'extreme' part of the left in politics.