major party
noun
: a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power
Examples of major party in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Write-in candidates typically have not garnered enough votes to upset major party candidates.
—
Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Congress has been unable to pass either of two dueling measures proposed by both major parties.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
It’s been going on for over two centuries and has been embraced by both major parties, with the GOP achieving the greatest advantage in recent redistricting actions.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
The high-profile indictment comes as both major parties accuse each other of weaponizing the justice system, compounding doubts surrounding its integrity among Americans.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for major party
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025
Congress has been unable to pass either of two dueling measures proposed by both major parties.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
It’s been going on for over two centuries and has been embraced by both major parties, with the GOP achieving the greatest advantage in recent redistricting actions.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
The high-profile indictment comes as both major parties accuse each other of weaponizing the justice system, compounding doubts surrounding its integrity among Americans.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for major party
Cite this Entry
“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share