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  • Word comparison: left wing vs. right wing

left wing vs. right wing

left wing vs. right wing: ’s the difference?

Left wing and right wing refer to general positions on the political spectrum of beliefs, with left wing used in reference to progressives, liberals, and leftists, and right wing used in reference to conservatives and reactionaries. The farther “right,” the more conservative; the farther “left,” the more liberal. The terms originate from the seating positions of different factions in European legislatures.

left wing

noun

  1. members of a liberal or radical political party, or those favoring extensive political reform.
  2. such a party or a group of such parties.
  3. the part of a political or social organization advocating a liberal or radical position.

right wing

noun

  1. members of a conservative or reactionary political party, or those opposing extensive political reform.
  2. such a political party or a group of such parties.
  3. that part of a political or social organization advocating a conservative or reactionary position:

    The union's right wing favored a moderate course of action.