1
: a member or supporter of a major British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries seeking to limit the royal authority and increase parliamentary power compare tory
2
: an American favoring independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution
3
: a member or supporter of an American political party formed about 1834 in opposition to the Jacksonian Democrats, associated chiefly with manufacturing, commercial, and financial interests, and succeeded about 1854 by the Republican Party
Whig
adjective
Examples of Whig in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lincoln, a member of the Whig Party at the time, was an advocate of the state-run bank while his Democratic colleagues were not, the Times reported.
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Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Off the top of my head – Soundgarden, Superunknown; Hole, Live Through This; Portishead, Dummy; Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral; of course, Nirvana’s Nevermind; Radiohead’s OK Computer and my personal favorite, The Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Since Wisconsin became a state in 1848, the governor’s office has been held by four different parties: Republican, Democratic, Whig, and Progressive.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 26 July 2025
Although not all Whigs supported independence by any means, their voices and symbols inspired and sustained American Patriots who did, both those in North America and those who lived thousands of miles away but were dedicated to supporting the American cause nonetheless.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Whig
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Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Off the top of my head – Soundgarden, Superunknown; Hole, Live Through This; Portishead, Dummy; Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral; of course, Nirvana’s Nevermind; Radiohead’s OK Computer and my personal favorite, The Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Since Wisconsin became a state in 1848, the governor’s office has been held by four different parties: Republican, Democratic, Whig, and Progressive.
—Craig Gilbert, jsonline.com, 26 July 2025
Although not all Whigs supported independence by any means, their voices and symbols inspired and sustained American Patriots who did, both those in North America and those who lived thousands of miles away but were dedicated to supporting the American cause nonetheless.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Whig
Cite this Entry
“Whig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Whig. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: a member or supporter of a British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries trying to lessen the power of the monarch and to increase the power of the parliament
2
: an American supporting independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution
3
: a member or supporter of a 19th century American political party formed to oppose the Democrats
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