a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, entertainment, etc.: a cocktail party.
a group gathered for a special purpose or task: a fishing party; a search party.
a detachment, squad, or detail of troops assigned to perform some particular mission or service.
a group of persons with common purposes or opinions who support one side of a dispute, question, debate, etc.
a group of persons with common political opinions and purposes organized for gaining political influence and governmental control and for directing government policy: the Republican Party; the Democratic Party.
the system of taking sides on public or political questions or the like.
attachment or devotion to one side or faction; partisanship: to put considerations of party first.
Law.
one of the litigants in a legal proceeding; a plaintiff or defendant in a suit.
a signatory to a legal instrument.
a person participating in or otherwise privy to a crime.
a person or group that participates in some action, affair, plan, etc.; participant: He was a party to the merger deal.
the person under consideration; a specific individual: The package was delivered to the wrong party.
a person or, usually, two or more persons together patronizing a restaurant, attending a social or cultural function, etc.: The headwaiter asked how many were in our party; a party of 12 French physicists touring the labs; a party of one at the small table.
a person participating in a telephone conversation: I have your party on the line.
any occasion or activity likened to a social party, as specified; session: The couple in the next apartment are having their usual dish-throwing party.
something lively, stimulating, or bustling: It’s so delicious, it’s like a party in your mouth.That plastic water bottle is a germ party.
an advantageous or pleasurable situation or combination of circumstances of some duration and often of questionable character; period of content, license, exemption, etc.: The police broke in and suddenly the party was over for the nation's most notorious gunman.
adjective
of or relating to a party or faction; partisan: party leaders.
of or for a social gathering: her new party dress.
being shared by or pertaining to two or more persons or things.
Heraldry. (of an escutcheon) having the field divided into a number of parts, usually two; parted.
verb (used without object),par·tied,par·ty·ing.Informal.
to go to or give parties, especially a series of parties.
to enjoy oneself thoroughly and without restraint; indulge in pleasure.
Origin of party
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English partie, paarty, from Old French, noun use of feminine of parti, past participle of partir “to divide, separate, go away,” from Latin partīre “to share, divide”; see part
SYNONYMS FOR party
1 meeting, assemblage.
4 faction, circle, coterie, ring.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR party ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for party
1. See company.
usage note for party
Party meaning “a specific individual” is old in the language, going back to the 15th century, and was formerly in common use. Today, it remains standard in limited senses, chiefly the legal, and is often used humorously or condescendingly: the party holding the balloon. The word person is the neutral and common term.
historical usage of party
English party, with its many senses, comes from Old French partie, whose many meanings include “part, side, portion,” literally, “something that has been divided or separated.” In form, partie is the noun use of the feminine past participle of partir “to leave, go, take off, start” (and many other senses). Partir comes from Latin partīre (also partīrī ), whose relatively few meanings include “to share, distribute, divide, divide up.” Since the 1300s, party has taken on a number of useful meanings, including “any of the people engaged in a formal legal proceeding,” which dates from the early 14th century. First noted in the 17th century is the sense of “an organized political group or faction” ( the Party, short for "the Communist Party," would show up around 1919). Also dating from the 17th century is the term party wall, “a wall that forms a boundary between areas with different owners,” while the familiar “festive social gathering” sense of party can be traced back to the early 18th century. In the next century, party line emerged (during the 1830s) as a political term meaning “a policy or principle to be maintained,” and later (from the early 1890s) was more commonly used in the now obsolete sense of “a telephone line shared by several subscribers.”
The new sleep tracking app appears less sophisticated than similar apps offered by third parties, but I’ll need to test it further.
Apple Watch Series 6 first impressions: A stretchy addition looks great|Aaron Pressman|September 17, 2020|Fortune
Just because Obama says it doesn’t mean the rest of the party will agree.
America needs a democratic revolution|Matthew Yglesias|September 17, 2020|Vox
Among the most significant differences between the two parties are on perceptions of American exceptionalism.
Poll: Sharp partisan differences now exist on foreign policy, views of American exceptionalism|Dan Balz, Scott Clement|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
“Contextual has evolved and with the absence of the third-party cookie it’s all the more significant,” said Simone.
‘Re-architecting the entire process’: How Vice is preparing for life after the third-party cookie|Lara O'Reilly|September 17, 2020|Digiday
That compares with the Democrats’ two-point party identification edge in 2016 exit polling and their eight-point advantage in 2012 exit polling.
Post-ABC poll and others suggest Minnesota has shifted since 2016, but by how much?|Scott Clement, Dan Balz|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Neither the Republican nor the Democratic party have done anything to consistently target Asian- American voters.
Asian-Americans Are The New Florida|Tim Mak|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the NFL party animal loves flaunting his washboard abs, he seems more fratboy than Fabio.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And like all prophets, he was under-appreciated by his country, his community, and his party for far too long.
Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America|John Avlon|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He sometimes surmised that it was because he was too outspokenly identified with the diminished liberal wing of the party.
Ed Brooke: The Senate's Civil Rights Pioneer and Prophet of a Post-Racial America|John Avlon|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
GOP leaders refused; they saw that Duke was pulling blue-collar Democrats to the party.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The hotel being quite full of visitors, two of our party had to sleep in the parlour on sofas of the horse-hair order.
Reminiscences of Travel in Australia, America, and Egypt|Richard Tangye
He denied that he was party to the attempt, and paid the necessary fee to the Hanaper for his pardon.
William de Colchester|Ernest Harold Pearce
No doubt the party indicated as the witch was very often another of the "good witches," perhaps a rival.
A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718|Wallace Notestein
One of our party is still suffering from a bullet wound received at their hands.
Camp Venture|George Cary Eggleston
A man was leaning against the wall, yawning, at an evening party.
Nell, of Shorne Mills|Charles Garvice
British Dictionary definitions for party
party
/ (ˈpɑːtɪ) /
nounplural-ties
a social gathering for pleasure, often held as a celebration
(as modifier)party spirit
(in combination)partygoer
a group of people associated in some activitya rescue party
(often capital)a group of people organized together to further a common political aim, such as the election of its candidates to public office
(as modifier)party politics
the practice of taking sides on public issues
a person, esp one who participates in some activity such as entering into a contract
the person or persons taking part in legal proceedings, such as plaintiff or prosecutora party to the action
informal, joculara personhe's an odd old party
come to the partyto take part or become involved
verb-ties, -tyingor-tied(intr)
informalto celebrate; revel
adjective
heraldry(of a shield) divided vertically into two colours, metals, or furs
Word Origin for party
C13: from Old French partie part, faction, from Latin partīre to divide; see part
Why Do We Have “Red States” And “Blue States”?As hardwired as the associations are to us now, it may surprise you to learn when red came to mean Republican and blue to mean Democrat.