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Glite Dictionary
fencesitter

fencesitter

8.2
A person who does not choose a side in a dispute, especially in politics
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛnˌsɪtər/
translation icon : indeciso
  • Being a fencesitter often means avoiding commitment in tough discussions about policy.

Examples

  • During the debate, the fencesitter struggled to express a firm opinion on the controversial issue.

  • In heated elections, many voters remain fencesitters, unsure of which candidate to support.

  • The best way to reach out to the tribes was through medical aid, especially to reach the fencesitters in the middle.

    Blog text (29)

  • Seems like I'm ever the fencesitter, finding elements of all groups in my belief (or lack thereof) system.

    Blog text (3)

Synonyms

independent
vsfencesitter
122 3.6

A person who does not belong to any political party

refuses to back either side in a specific dispute rather than long term party choice
fence-sitter
vsfencesitter
  • Informal
2 6.8

A person who does not take sides in an argument

is the nonhyphenated variant with identical meaning
neutralist
vsfencesitter
  • Formal
1 7.8

A person who wants their country to stay out of other countries' wars

refuses to take sides in disputes rather than supporting national foreign policy neutrality
mugwump
vsfencesitter
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who does not take sides in politics

refuses support in a particular dispute rather than broader political independence

Antonyms

supporter
817 1.0

A person who backs a team or a cause

advocate
282 4.1

A person who supports a cause or policy in public

How Committed

activist
6 3.7
supporter
817 1.0
fencesitter
8.2
neutral
2 4.2

Surface Forms

fencesitter singular
fencesitters plural

Morphology

fencesitter = fence + sitter (transparent) = fence + sitter

The meaning follows directly from the compound 'fence' + 'sitter' (one who sits on the fence = does not take sides).

Etymology

The word fencesitter comes from the image of someone sitting on a fence rather than standing with one side, and the sitter part means 'one who sits'; 'sitting on the fence' means 'not choosing a side', so a fencesitter is a person who avoids supporting either side in a dispute or vote.