bipartisan

adjective

bi·​par·​ti·​san (ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zən 

-sən,

-ˌzan,

 chiefly British  ˌbī-ˌpä-tə-ˈzan

: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties

a bipartisan commission

specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties

bipartisan support for the bill

bipartisanism

(ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zə-ˌni-zəm 

-sə-

noun

bipartisanship

(ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship 

-sən-

noun

Did you know?

Bipartisan is a two-part word. The first element is the prefix bi-, which means "two"; the second is partisan, a word that traces through Middle French and north Italian dialect to the Latin part- or pars, meaning "part." Partisan itself has a long history as a word in English. It has been used as a noun in reference to a firm adherent to a party, faction, or cause (especially one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance), since the 16th century. The related adjective (meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan") appeared in the 19th century, as did, after a space of some 50 years, the adjective bipartisan.

Examples of bipartisan in a Sentence

In his first Inaugural Address, Jefferson sounded a conciliatory, bipartisan note, averring that "we are all Republicans, we are all Federalists"—a trope copied in many inaugural addresses to follow. —Sean Wilentz, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2009

Seasoned observers of Washington tend to dismiss such talk of national unity and bipartisan cooperation as meaningless political boilerplate … —Larissa MacFarquhar, New Yorker, 7 May 2007

Two recent national bipartisan blue-ribbon panels, the National Research Council Committee on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children and the National Reading Panel, came to converging conclusions. —Bennet A. Shawitz, New Republic, 6 Nov. 2000

The bill has bipartisan support.

Recent Examples on the Web

In response to the 2022 infant formula shortage, a bipartisan group of legislators in the House and Senate introduced the Access to Donor Milk Act of 2023 in September 2023. —Sionika Thayagabalu and Dominick Lemas, STAT, 18 Apr. 2024

But the popular social media app has prompted widespread outrage on Capitol Hill, where there is bipartisan concern about Chinese threats to the United States and where few members use the platform themselves. —Mary Clare Jalonick and Haleluya Hadero, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024

Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state officials who signed on are Republicans. —David Koenig, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024

Does that give this sort of funding bipartisan appeal? —Matt Simon, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2024

But this was only one part of a broader — and bipartisan — set of actions and inactions that have led to collective neglect for this vulnerable population. —Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024

Instead, months of collaboration on a bipartisan border security bill ended with Republicans rejecting the bill without serious consideration. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024

One study found that the coalitions that voted to pass legislation in the mid-2010s were almost as bipartisan in their makeup as those in the 1970s. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024

Last week, the measure was sent to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk with bipartisan support – flipping 11 Democratic senators and nine House Democrats. —Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

bipartisan

adjective

bi·​par·​ti·​san (ˈ)bī-ˈpärt-ə-zən 

-sən

: representing, made up of, or organized by members of two political parties

a bipartisan foreign policy