partisan

¹

Sometimes par·ti·zan

[pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn, pahr-tuh-zan]

noun

1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

   Antonyms: opponent

2. Military.,  a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc..

   partisan politics.

   Synonyms: prejudiced, biased

2. of, relating to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.

partisan

²

Also par·ti·zan

[pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn]

noun

1. a shafted weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries, having as a head a long spear blade with a pair of curved lobes at the base.

partisan

¹

/ ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn, ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn /

noun

1. an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc

2. 1. a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II

   2. ( as modifier )

      partisan forces

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan

2. relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sided

   partisan control

partisan

²

/ ˈpɑːtɪzən /

noun

1. a spear or pike with two opposing axe blades or spikes

Other Word Forms

• partisanship noun
• partisanry noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of partisan¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Upper Italian parteźan (Tuscan partigiano ), equivalent to part(e) “faction, part” ( part ) + -eźan (from unattested Vulgar Latin -ēs- adjective suffix of place ( -ese ) + Latin -iānus adjective suffix ( -ian )

Origin of partisan²

1550–60; < Middle French partizane < Upper Italian parteźana, probably by ellipsis from (unattested) arma parteźana “weapon borne by members of a faction”; partisan ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of partisan¹

C16: via French, from Old Italian partigiano, from parte faction, from Latin pars _part

Origin of partisan²

C16: from French partizane, from Old Italian partigiana, from partigiano _partisan ¹

Synonym Study

See follower.

Example Sentences

Jim’s drift away from the GOP began when he worked for another Republican Assembly candidate whom he remembers, distastefully, as reflexively partisan, homophobic and anti-worker.

From Los Angeles Times

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Chicago officials were making fighting crime a partisan issue.

From BBC

With control of Congress at stake in 2026, both parties are closely watching Texas, Missouri and California as potential bellwethers for how far courts will allow partisan line-drawing to go.

From Salon

Census, is receiving an unusual level of attention because of partisan efforts to tilt control of Congress in next year’s midterm election.

From Los Angeles Times

In any event, the Fed is a creation of Congress, which could theoretically expand or narrow its monetary policy authority and structure its board to make it more responsive to partisan politics.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• backer 
• defender 
• devotee 
• follower 
• stalwart 
• supporter 
• sympathizer 
• zealot