WordValegrassroots
arising from ordinary people rather than leadership
In more detail
1. (adjective) involving ordinary people rather than powerful organizations or leaders
2. (noun) the ordinary people in a society or organization, not the leaders
Examples
- 1. The grassroots movement started when local residents decided to clean up their neighborhood.
- 2. Politicians hope to gain support from the grassroots before the election.
How to use grassroots
Grassroots describes political, social, or organizational initiatives driven by ordinary people at the local or community level rather than by established institutions or leadership. It emphasizes authentic participation from the bottom of a structure upward, often with connotations of being authentic, energetic, or democratically-driven. The term is common in political discourse, social movements, and marketing.
Common phrases
- grassroots movement
- grassroots support
- grassroots campaign
- grassroots level
- grassroots organizations
Synonyms
bottom-up · popular · community-based · from the ground up · local
Opposites
top-down · elite · hierarchical
Word family
grassroots (adjective/noun) · grass-root (adjective, dated)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes treat grassroots as only a noun (referring to people), when it functions equally as an adjective (grassroots campaign) and should not be confused with the literal botanical term.
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