Someone who is partisan strongly supports a particular person or cause, often without thinking carefully about the matter.
He is clearly too partisan to be a referee.
Synonyms: prejudiced, one-sided, biased, partial More Synonyms of partisan
A partisan is someone who is partisan.
At first the eager young poet was a partisan of the Revolution.
2. countable noun
Partisans are ordinary people, rather than soldiers, who join together to fight enemy soldiers who are occupying their country.
He was rescued by some Italian partisans.
...serving in resistance and partisan activities.
Synonyms: underground fighter, guerrilla, irregular, freedom fighter More Synonyms of partisan
More Synonyms of partisan
partisan in British English1
or partizan (ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn, ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn)
noun
1.
an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc
2.
a.
a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II
b.
(as modifier)
partisan forces
adjective
3.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan
4.
relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sided
partisan control
Derived forms
partisanship (ˌpartiˈsanship) or partizanship (ˌpartiˈzanship)
noun
Word origin
C16: via French, from Old Italian partigiano, from parte faction, from Latin parspart
partisan in British English2
or partizan (ˈpɑːtɪzən)
noun
a spear or pike with two opposing axe blades or spikes
Word origin
C16: from French partizane, from Old Italian partigiana, from partigianopartisan1
partisan in American English1
(ˈpɑrtəzən; ˈpɑrtəsən)
noun
1.
a person who takes the part of or strongly supports one side, party, or person; often,specif., an unreasoning, emotional adherent
2.
any of a group of guerrilla fighters; esp., a member of an organized civilian force fighting covertly to drive out occupying enemy troops
adjective
3.
of, like, or characteristic of a partisan
4.
blindly or unreasonably devoted
5.
of or having to do with military partisans
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈfollower
Derived forms
partisanship (ˈpartisanˌship)
noun
Word origin
MFr < It partigiano < parte < L pars, part1
partisan in American English2
(ˈpɑrtəzən; ˈpɑrtəsən)
noun
a broad-bladed weapon with a long shaft, used esp. in the 16th cent.
Word origin
MFr partisane < It partigiana, fem. of partigiano (see partisan1): sense infl. by pertugiare, to pierce
Examples of 'partisan' in a sentence
partisan
You feel it from the hugely partisan support the team are receiving, but it is also there in the desire and focus of their team.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You feel it from the hugely partisan support the team are receiving, but it is alsothere in the desire and focus of their team.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Does she feel that she has become partisan?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And then most neutrals will become partisans for the team that give them more aesthetic pleasure.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They have shut out media sources apart from partisan ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The important point is not the partisan one.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is a must-win game for them and they will have a partisan weekend crowd supporting them.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The Masters champion could prove a formidable opponent in front of a loud and partisan home crowd.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He was also for decades, the leader of the partisan veterans association.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
A group of partisans made him remove his uniform and coat in the middle of winter.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Alternatively, guerrilla warfare was also a term applied to the role of irregular troops acting as partisans in support of conventional military operations.
Mcinnes, Colin & Sheffield G.D (eds.) Warfare in the Twentieth Century (1988)
Fighting as a partisan in the Italian Resistance had formed him.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
The next year he married and, soon after, he joined the partisans.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This turned out to be enough to save his life, and it effected an introduction to the partisan group he had originally been assigned to contact.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
That was interrupted by war service during which he crossed over from German army lines and went to fight with Italian partisans.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Abroad, SOE agents faced difficult choices over which partisan faction to support.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Yes, I had become partisan.
Marsden, Philip The Crossing-Place (1993)
In other languages
partisan
British English: partisan ADJECTIVE
Someone who is partisan strongly supports a particular person or cause.
He is clearly too partisan to be a referee.
American English: partisan
Brazilian Portuguese: partidário
Chinese: 盲目拥护的
European Spanish: partidista
French: partisan
German: voreingenommen
Italian: di parte
Japanese: >盲目的に支持する人・大義を
Korean: 당파심이 강한
European Portuguese: partidário
Latin American Spanish: partidista
1 (adjective)
Definition
prejudiced or one-sided
He is too partisan to be a referee.
Synonyms
prejudiced
She complains that her social worker was prejudiced against her.
one-sided
She gave a very one-sided account of the affair.
biased
The judge was biased.
partial
Some of the umpiring in the tournament was partial.
sectarian
sectarian religious groups
factional
factional disputes between the various groups
tendentious
Opposites
impartial
,
bipartisan
,
disinterested
,
unbiased
,
non-partisan
,
broad-minded
,
unprejudiced
2 (adjective)
the hide-out of a partisan leader
Synonyms
underground
accused of organizing and financing an underground youth movement
resistance
guerrilla
irregular
At least 17 irregular units are involved in the war.
1 (noun)
Definition
a person who supports a particular cause or party
At first the young poet was a partisan of the Revolution.
Synonyms
supporter
a major supporter of the tax reform plan
champion
He received acclaim as a champion of the oppressed.
follower
disagreements between followers of the two organizations
backer
disciple
a major intellectual figure with disciples throughout Europe
stalwart
a stalwart of one of the world's most revered orchestras
devotee
devotees of the Hare Krishna movement
adherent
Communism was gaining adherents in Latin America.
upholder
votary
Opposites
leader
,
rival
,
critic
,
opponent
,
contender
,
foe
,
adversary
,
detractor
,
knocker (informal)
2 (noun)
Definition
a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory
He was rescued by some Italian partisans.
Synonyms
underground fighter
guerrilla
The guerrillas issued a list of demands.
irregular
freedom fighter
resistance fighter
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adherent
Definition
a supporter or follower
Communism was gaining adherents in Latin America.
Synonyms
supporter,
fan,
advocate,
follower,
admirer,
partisan,
disciple,
protagonist,
devotee,
or woman or person">henchman or woman or person,
hanger-on,
upholder,
sectary,
votary
in the sense of biased
The judge was biased.
Synonyms
prejudiced,
weighted,
one-sided,
partial,
distorted,
swayed,
warped,
slanted,
embittered,
predisposed,
jaundiced
in the sense of champion
Definition
someone who defends a person or cause
He received acclaim as a champion of the oppressed.
Synonyms
defender,
guardian,
patron,
backer,
protector,
upholder,
vindicator
Synonyms of 'partisan'
partisan
Explore 'partisan' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of devotee
Definition
a zealous follower of a religion
devotees of the Hare Krishna movement
Synonyms
follower,
student,
supporter,
pupil,
convert,
believer,
partisan,
disciple,
learner,
apostle,
adherent,
votary,
proselyte,
catechumen
in the sense of disciple
Definition
a follower of the doctrines of a teacher
a major intellectual figure with disciples throughout Europe
Synonyms
follower,
student,
supporter,
pupil,
convert,
believer,
partisan,
devotee,
apostle,
adherent,
proselyte,
votary,
catechumen
in the sense of factional
factional disputes between the various groups
Synonyms
contentious,
warring,
rival,
conflicting,
dissident,
partisan,
turbulent,
rebellious,
sectarian,
divisive,
tumultuous,
malcontent,
litigious,
seditious,
mutinous,
refractory,
disputatious,
insurrectionary,
troublemaking
in the sense of follower
Definition
a supporter, such as of a sport or team
disagreements between followers of the two organizations
Synonyms
supporter,
fan,
representative,
convert,
believer,
admirer,
backer,
partisan,
disciple,
protagonist,
devotee,
worshipper,
apostle,
pupil,
cohort (US),
adherent,
or woman or person">henchman or woman or person,
groupie (slang),
habitué,
votary
in the sense of guerrilla
Definition
a member of an irregular, politically motivated, armed force that fights regular forces
The guerrillas issued a list of demands.
Synonyms
freedom fighter,
partisan,
irregular,
underground fighter,
member of the underground or resistance
in the sense of irregular
Definition
(of troops) not belonging to regular forces
At least 17 irregular units are involved in the war.
Synonyms
unofficial,
underground,
guerrilla,
volunteer,
resistance,
partisan,
rogue,
paramilitary,
mercenary
in the sense of one-sided
Definition
considering or favouring only one side of a matter
She gave a very one-sided account of the affair.
Synonyms
biased,
prejudiced,
weighted,
twisted,
coloured,
unfair,
partial,
distorted,
partisan,
warped,
slanted,
unjust,
discriminatory,
lopsided
in the sense of partial
Definition
biased
Some of the umpiring in the tournament was partial.
Synonyms
biased,
prejudiced,
discriminatory,
partisan,
influenced,
unfair,
one-sided,
unjust,
predisposed,
tendentious
in the sense of sectarian
Definition
narrow-minded as a result of supporting a particular sect
sectarian religious groups
Synonyms
narrow-minded,
partisan,
fanatic,
fanatical,
extremist,
limited,
exclusive,
rigid,
parochial,
factional,
bigoted,
dogmatic,
insular,
doctrinaire,
hidebound,
clannish,
cliquish
in the sense of stalwart
Definition
a hard-working and loyal supporter
a stalwart of one of the world's most revered orchestras