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# grassroots

«grassroots» in Mova's school dictionary: **the ordinary people in a group, club or movement, not the…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (the grassroots); adjective (grassroots, grass-roots)

### meaning for a pupil

1) The grassroots are the ordinary people in a group, club or movement, not the leaders. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#m1)

2) Grassroots describes something that starts with ordinary people locally, not with people in power, as in grassroots football or a grassroots campaign. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In politics and citizenship lessons, grassroots campaigns are begun by ordinary people, such as a petition to save a park. In sport, grassroots football and rugby mean local clubs where children play. In news, leaders are told to listen to the grassroots.

### examples

- Grassroots football clubs need volunteers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x1)
- The campaign to save the library was a grassroots effort. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x2)
- Many famous players started at grassroots level. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x3)
- The party leader listened to the grassroots. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x4)
- Our recycling scheme began as a grassroots idea. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x5)
- Grassroots sport keeps children active. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/#x6)

### note

Often written as one word, sometimes grass-roots or grass roots. The literal grass roots (roots of grass) is a different, ordinary meaning. Used as an adjective before a noun: grassroots project.

### In the corpora

- [Under UK grassroots guidance there is no competitive sport for at least 21 days after a concussion, even if you feel fine sooner.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/47-a-knock-to-the-head-in-sport-if-in-doubt-sit-them-out/13/)
- [Many grassroots referees are teenagers, and abuse from the touchline is a big reason referees give up.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/65-var-rows-referees-fans-and-rivalries/8/)
- [Many grassroots referees are teenagers, and abuse from the touchline is a big reason referees quit.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/68-the-coach-who-shouts-and-parents-on-the-touchline/11/)
- [Some grassroots leagues hold silent-support weekends where adults may only clap.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/68-the-coach-who-shouts-and-parents-on-the-touchline/13/)
- [At grassroots level playing time is how children improve, and fair minutes keep everyone learning and coming back.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/medicine/70-the-kid-who-is-always-on-the-bench/10/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «grassroots» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grassroots/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.