1886, "devotee of the teachings of Marx," from French marxiste, from Karl Marx (1818-1883), German political theorist. The adjective is attested from 1884. The adjectival form Marxian (1940) sometimes is used (by Groucho, among others) to distinguish the U.S. vaudeville team from the German communist.[Marxist etymology, Marxist origin, 英语词源]