partisan

1 of 3

noun (1)

par·​ti·​san ˈpär-tə-zən How to pronounce partisan (audio) -sən How to pronounce partisan (audio)
-ˌzan,
 chiefly British  ˌpär-tə-ˈzan
variants or less commonly partizan
1
: a firm adherent to a party, faction, cause, or person
especially : one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance
political partisans who see only one side of the problem
2
a
: a member of a body of detached light troops making forays and harassing an enemy
Peasant partisans assaulted the French army.
b
: a member of a guerrilla band operating within enemy lines
Polish partisans had blown up two trainsSpringfield (Massachusetts) Union
partisanly
ˈpär-tə-zən-lē How to pronounce partisan (audio)
-sən-
-ˌzan-
 chiefly British  ˌpär-tə-ˈzan-
adverb

partisan

2 of 3

adjective

1
: feeling, showing, or deriving from strong and sometimes blind adherence to a particular party, faction, cause, or person : exhibiting, characterized by, or resulting from partisanship
partisan politics
partisan loyalty
Secularism is indeed correlated with greater tolerance of gay marriage and pot legalization. But it's also making America's partisan clashes more brutal.Peter Beinart
The editorial page of the newspaper captured the mood of an America frustrated by partisan division …Joseph Cress
The modern Democratic party may honor the cerebral Jefferson as one of its founders, but the true paternity lies with the fiercely partisan Jackson. He made it a fighting electoral force.Bernard A. Weisberger
2
: of, carried on by, or being military partisans
partisan fighters
partisan warfare

partisan

3 of 3

noun (2)

par·​ti·​san ˈpär-tə-zən How to pronounce partisan (audio)
-sən
variants or partizan
: a weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries with long shaft and broad blade

Did you know?

Partisan and Politics

A partisan is someone who supports one part or party. Sometimes the support takes the form of military action, as when guerrilla fighters take on government forces. But partisan is actually most often used as an adjective, usually referring to support of a political party. so if you're accused of being too partisan, or of practicing partisan politics, it means you're mainly interested in boosting your own party and attacking the other one.

Choose the Right Synonym for partisan

follower, adherent, disciple, partisan mean one who gives full loyalty and support to another.

follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.

an evangelist and his followers

adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.

adherents to Marxism

disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.

disciples of Gandhi

partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.

partisans of the President

Examples of partisan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The battle for the next two years of partisan political control will be waged door-to-door, from California’s beachside suburban cul-de-sacs to the tiny farm towns in the state’s fertile Central Valley. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Biden’s eagerness to criticize Trump and the former president’s steady stream of responses made for one of the more partisan State of the Union’s in memory. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 For one thing, Tuesday’s primary election is likely to see record low voter turnout — and partisan differences will likely play a major roll in the outcome. Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 With older Americans already entrenched in partisan identity, strategists are focussed on mobilizing young urbanites. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Similarly, partisan control of Congress will be up for grabs in November, with California potentially playing a decisive role. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 In both cases, there were significant partisan divides. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Institutions are facing questions about their free speech policies and accusations of being too partisan. Michael Sandler, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Total immunity for his official conduct, Mr. Trump’s application said, is required by the separation of powers, implicit in procedures for impeaching the president and needed to prevent partisan misuse of the criminal justice system. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The current primary setup was passed by voters in 2010, partly to stop partisans from engaging in primary shenanigans. Nicholas Riccardi, The Denver Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Kennedy, the law professor, believes that charges of campus antisemitism have been exaggerated and weaponized by partisans. Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 But a less honorable motive was to stage a debate so it could be hijacked by partisans who tried to play back-stage political games for the sport of it. Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2024 Trump and Clinton partisans quickly spread rumors that the other was responsible for Epstein's death in order to silence him. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 The satisfying narratives that allow partisans to look past their guy’s foibles allow for a retreat into the comfortable predictability of tribal political combat. Noah Rothman, National Review, 4 Jan. 2024 Late in the film, an unnamed character — likely a partisan — sits down at a piano to play a song with an unusual melody. Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 With tensions high—and partisans frequently taking their grievances to the streets—some business leaders and advisers are looking warily at the risks. Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2024 Though fighting as a national army, and despite many successes, Ukraine’s forces have had to maneuver behind their own lines almost as partisans, always in secret, seeking to avoid large formations. Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'partisan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French partisan, from north Italian dialect partiźan, from part part, party, from Latin part-, pars part

Noun (2)

Middle French partisane, from north Italian dialect partiźana, feminine of partiźan

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of partisan was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near partisan

Cite this Entry

“Partisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisan. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

partisan

noun
par·​ti·​san
ˈpärt-ə-zən
1
: a person who is strongly devoted to a particular cause or group
2
partisan adjective
partisanship
-ˌship
noun

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