Meanings
comparative more opportunistic · superlative most opportunistic
- Taking advantage of situations that arise.
The danger now isn't so much from the AIDS virus itself as from opportunistic infections.
- Taking advantage of situations to advance one's own interests without regard for moral principles.
You can't trust somebody that opportunistic: he'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets.
2 more examples
[…] an opportunistic relative masquerading as his rescuer, […]
1997 September 28, “In Rescuing a Relative, a Helping or a Heavy Hand?”, in The New York TimesNow, maybe you see this as sort of an obvious and opportunistic publicity play by a competing social-media service. Maybe it even seems crass to you—a little grave-dancy.
2022 November 18, Kaitlyn Tiffany, “Tumblr Gets the Last Laugh”, in The Atlantic
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivetaking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Catalan oportunista, oportunista
- oportunistataking advantage of situations that arise
- oportunistasaid of people who will take advantage of situations
Dutch opportunistisch
- opportunistischsaid of people who will take advantage of situations
French opportun, opportuniste
- opportuntaking advantage of situations that arise
- opportunistesaid of people who will take advantage of situations
- profiteursaid of people who will take advantage of situations
German opportunistisch
- opportunistischsaid of people who will take advantage of situations
Indonesian oportunistis
- oportunististaking advantage of situations that arise
Japanese 日和る
- 日和る (hiyoru)said of people who will take advantage of situations
Malay oportunistik
- oportunistiktaking advantage of situations that arise
Portuguese oportunista
- oportunistasaid of people who will take advantage of situations
Spanish oportunista, oportunista
- oportunistataking advantage of situations that arise
- oportunistasaid of people who will take advantage of situations
Cite this entry
opportunistic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportunistic
“opportunistic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportunistic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opportunistic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportunistic.
Source: opportunistic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.