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
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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 One major party put forth its first female candidates for president, both of whom lost, consequentially. Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025 Carr's stance is the opposite held by previous FCC chairs from both major parties, who said the FCC should uphold the free speech rights of broadcasters. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025 The reform was so strong that both major parties opposed it — Democrats and Republicans, who rarely agree on anything, both wanted to keep redistricting in Sacramento. Bernadette Suarez, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for major party

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of major party was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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