Meanings
comparative more ultraleft · comparative further ultraleft · comparative farther ultraleft · superlative most ultraleft · superlative furthest ultraleft · superlative farthest ultraleft · alternative ultra-left
- Of or pertaining to ultraleftism.
This rejection of anything connected with bourgeois democracy would later become associated mainly with ultraleft radicalism, but its beginnings were another matter.
2011, Hal Draper, chapter 13, in Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution, volume 1, section 1, page 284 - derogatoryfar-leftOf a leftist movement or ideology: extreme and uncompromising; sectarian.
- generallyExtremely left-wing.
plural ultralefts · alternative ultra-left
- collectiveuncountableusuallyThe strain or strains of leftism often associated with left communism, which practice rejection of both social democracy and state socialism as well as opposition to Leninism; i.e, ultraleftism.
- uncountableusuallystrictlyThe left communist tendency characterized by a synthesis of Dutch-German council communism and Italian left communism.
- broadlyuncountableusuallyItalian left communism; Bordigism.
- derogatoryuncountableusuallyfar-leftLeftism collectively considered uncompromising and sectarian, especially anti-Leninist Marxism.
- countablerareusuallyAn adherent of ultraleftism.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Frenchultra-gauche
- Russianультралевый“ultraleft”
- Englishultraleft
Ultimately a calque of Russian ультралевый (ulʹtralevyj, “ultraleft”, adjective), in the sense of "pertaining to extreme or uncompromising leftist ideology." From ультра- (ulʹtra-, “ultra; extremely”) + левый (levyj, “left”, adjective), equivalent to ultra- + left. Originally applied pejoratively by the Bolsheviks against libertarian socialists and early left communists, and later by Stalinists against Trotskyists; now also used neutrally to refer to certain ideologies associated with left communism or traditional Marxism. The modern meanings are partially semantically loaned from French ultra-gauche.
More words from Russian, French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
ultraleft. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ultraleft
“ultraleft.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ultraleft. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ultraleft,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ultraleft.
Source: ultraleft on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.