left

left
left1
/left/, adj.
1. of, pertaining to, or located on or near the side of a person or thing that is turned toward the west when the subject is facing north (opposed to right).
2. (often cap.) of or belonging to the political Left; having liberal or radical views in politics.
3. Math. pertaining to an element of a set that has a given property when written on the left of an element or set of elements of the set: a left identity, as 1 in 1 · x = x.
n.
4. the left side or something that is on the left side.
5. a turn toward the left: Make a left at the next corner.
6. the Left,
a. the complex of individuals or organized groups advocating liberal reform or revolutionary change in the social, political, or economic order.
b. the position held by these people. Cf. right (def. 34a, b).
c. See left wing.
7. (usually cap.) Govt.
a. the part of a legislative assembly, esp. in continental Europe, that is situated on the left side of the presiding officer and that is customarily assigned to members of the legislature who hold more radical and socialistic views than the rest of the members.
b. the members of such an assembly who sit on the left.
8. Boxing. a blow delivered by the left hand.
9. Baseball. See left field (def. 1).
adv.
10. toward the left: She moved left on entering the room.
[1125-75; 1935-40 for def. 6; ME left, lift, luft, OE left idle, weak, useless, Kentish form of lyft- (in lyftadl palsy); c. D, LG lucht; akin to ME libbe (mod. dial. lib) to castrate, c. D, LG lubben]
left2
/left/, v.
1. pt. and pp. of leave1.
2. get left,
a. to be left stranded.
b. to miss an opportunity, objective, etc.

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In politics, the portion of the political spectrum associated in general with egalitarianism and popular or state control of the major institutions of political and economic life.

The term dates from the 1790s, when in the French revolutionary parliament the socialist representatives sat to the presiding officer's left. Leftists tend to be hostile to the interests of traditional elites, including the wealthy and members of the aristocracy, and to favour the interests of the working class (see proletariat). They tend to regard social welfare as the most important goal of government. Socialism is the standard leftist ideology in most countries of the world; communism is a more radical leftist ideology.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Left — Left, a. [OE. left, lift, luft; akin to Fries. leeft, OD. lucht, luft; cf. AS. left (equiv. to L. inanis), lyft[=a]dl palsy; or cf. AS. l[=e]f weak.] 1. Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • left*/*/*/ — [left] adj I 1) on the side of your body that is opposite to the right Ant: right He wore a wedding ring on his left hand.[/ex] 2) on the left side of something the bottom left corner of the screen[/ex] We took a left turn when we should have… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • left — left1 [left] adj. [ME (Kentish) var. of lift < OE lyft, weak, akin to EFris luf, weak] 1. a) designating or of that side of one s body which is toward the west when one faces north, the side of the less used hand in most people b) designating… …   English World dictionary

  • left — [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) on, towards, or relating to the side of a human body or of a thing which is to the west when the person or thing is facing north. 2) relating to a left wing person or group. ► ADVERB ▪ on or to the left side. ► NOUN 1) (th …   English terms dictionary

  • left — left; left·ish; left·ism; left·ments; left·most; left·ward; left·ist; left·ward·ly; left·wards; …   English syllables

  • Left — may refer to: * Left (direction) * Left (album), an album by Hope of the States * Left wing politics, the political trend or ideology← (left or left arrow) may refer to: * Assignment (computer science), for instance in the programming language… …   Wikipedia

  • left — n. group of people who hold radical and socialistic political views; left side, side opposite the right; left turn; punch made with the left hand (Boxing) adj. of or pertaining to the left, located on the left; opposite the right; of or belonging …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Left — Left, n. 1. That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one s body is turned; as, the house is on the left when you face North. [1913 Webster] Put that rose a little more to the left. Ld. Lytton. [1913 Webster] 2. Those members… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • left — LEFT, (1) lefţi, s.m., (2) lefturi, s.n. (înv.) 1. s.m. Monedă de aur sau argint (în valoare de cinci ducaţi), din care se făceau salbe. 2. s.n. Obiect de podoabă femeiască în formă de colier sau de medalion. – Din ngr. leftó(n) monedă mică .… …   Dicționar Român

  • left — [adj1] on west side when facing north hard to left, larboard, near, nigh side, port, portside, sinister, sinistral, south; concepts 581,583 Ant. right left [adj2] politically radical leftist, left wing, liberal, progressive, revolutionary,… …   New thesaurus

  • left — /left/ adjective 1. on the side of the body which usually has the weaker hand, not right ● The numbers run down the left side of the page. ● Put the debits in the left column. 2. not with others ● 10m new shares were left with the underwriters… …   Dictionary of banking and finance

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