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

The calls vary from minor party disturbances to major party disturbances, and include one life-threatening emergency. — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

El-Sayed, however, won, becoming the first Muslim to win a major party’s primary for Senate. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026

Gallup says identify politically as independents or unaffiliated with either major party. — Terry Collins, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

During the 1970s, the two major parties moved from selecting their nominees at national conventions to a system where state primaries decided who would lead the ticket. — Peter Kastor, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for major party

• counterparty
• multiparty
• arty
• carty
• hearty
• parti
• astarte
• mccarty
• nonparty