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
Delta has leaned more heavily on dividends and balance-sheet strength, raising its quarterly dividend by 50% in 2024 and authorizing a $1 billion opportunistic buyback program in mid-2025.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
This opportunistic real estate transaction does not impact our day-to-day operations.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 29 Dec. 2025
The Bears' opportunistic defense struck on the first play when Edwards caught a deflected pass and returned it 34 yards for Chicago's first defensive score on the opening play in at least 45 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, an opportunistic host who invites a possessed girl and a child psychologist as his guests for the night in a desperate bid for ratings.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
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Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
This opportunistic real estate transaction does not impact our day-to-day operations.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 29 Dec. 2025
The Bears' opportunistic defense struck on the first play when Edwards caught a deflected pass and returned it 34 yards for Chicago's first defensive score on the opening play in at least 45 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
David Dastmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, an opportunistic host who invites a possessed girl and a child psychologist as his guests for the night in a desperate bid for ratings.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 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 1 Jan. 2026.
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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