bipartisan
adjective
-sən
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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
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.
ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
In 1983, when the trust funds were on the verge of insolvency, a bipartisan agreement extended Social Security’s life by raising payroll taxes, requiring federal employees to contribute, and gradually increasing the full retirement age (FRA) to 67.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Still, any measure also needs bipartisan support in the Senate where enthusiasm is low.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
Jonathan Felts, spokesperson for Whatley’s campaign, said in his role on the FEMA Review Council Board Whatley called for and led a bipartisan review session last week.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bipartisan
Cite this Entry
“Bipartisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bipartisan. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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bipartisan
adjective
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