Definition

Noun: A political party is an organized group of people who share similar political aims and opinions, and who seek to influence public policy and gain political power by getting their candidates elected to public office.

Usage

A political party is a formal organization. It is typically used with verbs like join, lead, support, form, or represent. It is often modified by adjectives describing its ideology (e.g., major, opposition, conservative, liberal) or its name (e.g., the Democratic Party).

Examples

• She decided to join a political party that aligned with her values.
• The country has several major political parties competing in the election.
• He is a member of the opposition political party.
• The new law was supported by all mainstream political parties.

Advanced Usage

• "to be a party to something": This is a legal idiom meaning to be involved in or responsible for an agreement or action. It is related to but distinct from "political party."
  • The company was a party to the contract.
• "Third party": In politics, this refers to any political party other than the two major ones in a two-party system. More generally, it can mean a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation.
  • The candidate from a third party gained significant support.

Variants and Related Words

• Party (noun): In non-political contexts, this can mean a social gathering or, in legal contexts, a person or group participating in an action or contract.
  • We are having a birthday party.
  • Both parties signed the agreement.
• Partisan (noun/adjective): A strong, sometimes biased, supporter of a party, cause, or person. As an adjective, it means prejudiced in favor of a particular cause.
  • The debate was highly partisan.
• Bipartisan (adjective): Involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other.
  • They reached a bipartisan compromise.

Synonyms

• Faction
• Coalition (specifically a temporary alliance of parties)
• Caucus (a group within a legislative body)

Related Phrases

• Party platform: The formal set of principles and goals supported by a political party.
• Party line: The official policy or set of beliefs of a political party.
• Party politics: Political activity focused on the interests and strategies of political parties, sometimes viewed critically as being more about party advantage than public good.

Noun

1. an organization to gain political power
   • in 1992 Perot tried to organize a third party at the national level