partisanship
noun
par·ti·san·ship
ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship 
-sən-,
-ˌzan-
chiefly British ˌpär-tə-ˈzan-
: the quality or state of being partisan : strong and sometimes blind adherence to a particular party, faction, cause, or person
political partisanship
The Court is so riven by partisanship that justices even pick their law clerks in ways influenced by ideology …—
Anthony Lewis
Anthony LewisThe succession of Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age was marked by bitter partisanship, endemic corruption, appalling violence and a general sense that democracy was failing.—Jon Grinspan
Jon GrinspanExamples of partisanship in a Sentence
partisanship can discourage any serious search for the truth
there's a pervasive partisanship in the company that prevents it from acknowledging that other companies are outpacing it with innovative ideas
Recent Examples on the Web
Kiley left the Republican Party earlier this year, citing frustration with partisanship.
—Ruyuan Li. Summary Produced By Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Peters had asked about partisanship in granting major disaster declarations.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
Despite the harsh partisanship of today’s political culture, Michelle Obama said those messages are still possible.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 17 June 2026
The watchdog noted that the program hasn’t been so close to insolvency since 1983, when President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill famously put partisanship aside to safeguard the program—until now.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisanship
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.
Ruyuan Li. Summary Produced By Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Peters had asked about partisanship in granting major disaster declarations.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
Despite the harsh partisanship of today’s political culture, Michelle Obama said those messages are still possible.
—Mark Guarino, ABC News, 17 June 2026
The watchdog noted that the program hasn’t been so close to insolvency since 1983, when President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill famously put partisanship aside to safeguard the program—until now.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisanship
Cite this Entry
“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisanship. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
