major party
noun
: a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power
Examples of major party in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Roosevelt broke major party tradition by flying nine hours from Albany to personally deliver his acceptance speech from the Congress Plaza Hotel, which was carried live at Chicago Stadium on WGN-AM.
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Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
While an open Senate seat does not make Montana, which has long been considered a Republican stronghold, necessarily competitive for Democrats, an independent candidate is outraising candidates in both major parties.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 2 June 2026
Both major parties reinforced this retreat—the right celebrating individual freedom from government, the left emphasizing group rights against majorities—casting democracy as a zero-sum competition rather than a collaborative enterprise.
—Trygve Throntveit, Time, 27 May 2026
At least until 1860, this was due in no small part to the fact that both major parties had to have some support from the opposition to win national elections.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
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Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
While an open Senate seat does not make Montana, which has long been considered a Republican stronghold, necessarily competitive for Democrats, an independent candidate is outraising candidates in both major parties.
—Saige Miller, NPR, 2 June 2026
Both major parties reinforced this retreat—the right celebrating individual freedom from government, the left emphasizing group rights against majorities—casting democracy as a zero-sum competition rather than a collaborative enterprise.
—Trygve Throntveit, Time, 27 May 2026
At least until 1860, this was due in no small part to the fact that both major parties had to have some support from the opposition to win national elections.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for major party
Cite this Entry
“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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