Definition of BIPARTISAN

Other Words from bipartisan

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

Bipartisan Senate proposal: In February 2018, a bipartisan group of senators hashed out a compromise proposal that would have provided $25 billion for border security over 10 years, starting with a $2.5 billion installment last year. — Kristina Peterson, WSJ, "The Wall Funding Deals Trump Rejected," 14 Jan. 2019 The bipartisan package backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — Lisa Mascaro, The Seattle Times, "Dems block Senate bill on Israel boycotts, citing shutdown," 8 Jan. 2019 There are a few theories about why bipartisan marriages are often composed of a Democratic male and a Republican female. — New York Times, "Margaret Hoover and John Avlon on their Post-Partisan Marriage," 11 July 2018 The bipartisan legislation has created some unusual alliances in Congress and beyond. — Natalie Andrews, WSJ, "Criminal Justice Bill Means Less Prison Time—and Earlier Releases," 17 Dec. 2018 Senate approves bipartisan opioid legislation, cracking down on shipments Trump called 'almost a form of warfare' ACROSS THE NATION Reporter's Notebook: Isolated by floodwaters, FOX News crew finds route out of Wilmington. — Fox News, "FOX NEWS FIRST: Supreme showdown set for Kavanaugh, accuser; DOJ asked to probe John Kerry's 'shadow diplomacy'," 18 Sep. 2018 On Thursday, Mnuchin also repeated the administration’s support for bipartisan legislation to tighten scrutiny over foreign investments in the US and attach it to a must-pass defense spending bill. — Saleha Mohsin, BostonGlobe.com, "US, China may talk amid escalating trade threats," 13 July 2018 All four representatives called for bipartisan legislation that would put an end to the practice of separating children at the border. — Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, "Rep: 12-year-old blind girl among immigrant kids taken to Michigan," 5 July 2018 Yet for the past two decades, and most recently on Flag Day, Congress has introduced bipartisan legislation to restrict or ban these imports. — Michael D. Breidenbach, The Atlantic, "Raising the American Flag Made in China," 4 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bipartisan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.