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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.
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 24 June 2026
The Senate approved it Monday with similarly overwhelming bipartisan support.
—Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 23 June 2026
The bipartisan package comes after long negotiations and reflects public pressure on affordability.
—Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
With midterm elections months away, Congress is taking noteworthy and rare bipartisan action to tackle one element of affordability, a talking point in races across the country this year.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 23 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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bipartisan
adjective
