a member or supporter of a major British political group of the 18th cent. and early 19th cent. seeking to limit royal authority and increase parliamentary power: compare Tory
an American favouring independence from Britain during the American Revolution
a member or supporter of an American political party formed about 1834 in opposition to the Democrats, associated chiefly with manufacturing, commercial, and financial interests, and succeeded about 1854 by the Republican party
Whiggery noun
Whiggish adj
Whiggism noun
short for Whiggamore, a member of a largely Presbyterian Scottish group that marched to Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose the court party, prob from Scottish whig to drive + more mare1. Both Whig and Tory were introduced as derogatory nicknames for political groups in England during the controversy about the succession to the throne in 1679–80. A Whig, or Exclusioner, was originally a member of a group petitioning Charles II to call a parliament with the aim of passing a Bill to exclude his Roman Catholic brother, James, from succession. The nickname denoted nonconformity and anti-royalism, from its earlier application to Scottish Presbyterians. It soon lost its derogatory sense, and was adopted as the name of one of the two major British political groups until it was superseded by Liberal in the mid-19th cent: compare Tory