bipartisan

1 of 2

adjective

bi·​par·​ti·​san (ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zən  -sən 

-ˌzan

chiefly British ˌbī-ˌpä-tə-ˈzan

: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties

a bipartisan commission

specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties

bipartisan support for the bill

bipartisanism

(ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zə-ˌni-zəm  -sə- 

noun

bipartisanship

(ˌ)bī-ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship  -sən- 

noun

bipartisanism

2 of 2

noun

bi·​par·​ti·​san·​ism (¦)bī-¦pär-tə-zə-ˌni-zəm 

-sə-

plural -s

: the quality or state of being bipartisan

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

This year, the House and Senate passed the biggest bipartisan housing bill in recent memory — the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

The massive warehouse campuses generating energy for AI projects have drawn bipartisan opposition, with voters concerned about their impact on electricity prices, farmland and water supplies. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

The Select Committee on China was created with bipartisan support in 2023 to develop policy based on economic and security competition with China and the Chinese Communist Party. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

In the United States, bipartisan legislation to protect elections from deceptive AI has failed to make it through Congress, while in Brazil, a bill for AI regulation beyond elections remains stuck in the lower house. — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bipartisan

• nonpartisan
• artisan
• partisan

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Kids Definition

bipartisan

adjective

bi·​par·​ti·​san (ˈ)bī-ˈpärt-ə-zən 

-sən

: representing, made up of, or organized by members of two political parties

a bipartisan foreign policy