grassroots
From ordinary people
Grassroots describes activity originating from ordinary people rather than leaders or institutions.
A grassroots movement or campaign builds support from the ground up—local volunteers, small donors, community organizing—rather than from established power structures.
The candidate relied on grassroots fundraising.
The word evokes organic growth, like grass spreading across a field.
As a noun, the grassroots are the common people, especially as a political base: The party has lost touch with its grassroots.
Recently sprouted young plant
- germinationSeed's initial growth phase
- sproutingSeeds beginning growth
- soilGround matter for planting
- turfGrass-covered earth surface
sod · rhizome · shoot · rootlet · groundcover · humus · loam · undergrowth
Residential area nearby
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- activismDirect effort for reform
- coalitionTemporary alliance for action
- allianceFormal union of parties
network · collective · assembly · fellowship · collaboration · partnership · engagement · involvement
Residential area nearby
- townshipCounty's smaller division
- boroughAdministrative town or district
- wardProtected person; division
- precinctAdministrative jurisdiction zone
parish · village · hamlet · district · municipality · community-based · bottom-up · decentralized
Involving active contribution
- electorateEligible voting body
- ballotVoting document
- votingFormally registering a choice
- referendumDirect vote on legislation
egalitarian · civic · campaign · caucus · constituent · populist · movement · advocacy
seedling
Recently sprouted young plant
- germinationSeed's initial growth phase
- sproutingSeeds beginning growth
- soilGround matter for planting
turf · sod · rhizome · shoot · rootlet · groundcover · humus · loam · undergrowth · lawn
neighborhood
Residential area nearby
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- activismDirect effort for reform
- coalitionTemporary alliance for action
alliance · network · collective · assembly · fellowship · collaboration · partnership · engagement · involvement · participation
neighborhood
Residential area nearby
- townshipCounty's smaller division
- boroughAdministrative town or district
- wardProtected person; division
precinct · parish · village · hamlet · district · municipality · community-based · bottom-up · decentralized · homegrown
participatory
Involving active contribution
- electorateEligible voting body
- ballotVoting document
- votingFormally registering a choice
referendum · egalitarian · civic · campaign · caucus · constituent · populist · movement · advocacy · reform
- Environmental Justiceenvironmental racism, environmental rights, environmental policy, climate justice, social equity
- Political Groupsfaction, Republican Party, caucus, Democratic Party, wing
- bootstrappingself-funded, self-funding, sweat equity, startup funding, solopreneur
- groupsteam, teams, group, club, clubs
- democracyvote, voting, election, elections, ballot
- politicalconservative, liberal, moderate, centrist, leftist
grassrootstop-down
Directed from highest level
astroturf · establishment · institutional · manufactured · orchestrated
grassrootselite
Superior select group
establishment · aristocracy · ruling class · nobility · aristocratic
grassrootscentralized
Concentrated in one location
national · corporate · hierarchical · federal · global
- grassroots campaignCitizen-led political effort
- grassroots organizationsLocally driven civic groups
- grassroots movementCitizen-led collective action campaign
- grassroots activismCitizen-led political engagement
- grassroots supportCitizen-organized political momentum
- grassroots politicsCivic action from below