-sən
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
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.
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Monday’s event drew some bipartisan support.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Johnson signaled that the House is waiting for the Senate to act on FISA, a feat that will require the bipartisan support of at least 60 senators.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 9 June 2026
The package also lacks reforms with bipartisan support, such as requiring officers to wear body cameras.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bipartisan
Cite this Entry
“Bipartisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bipartisan. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bipartisan
adjective
