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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Presenting himself as an option for voters who believe both major parties have failed, Farage's Reform UK party did exceedingly well in the recent elections, cementing its rise from the fringes of British politics to center stage. Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 19 May 2026 Brensley recently made history as the first Latina to receive a major party endorsement for statewide office in Massachusetts. Anne Brensley, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for major party

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of major party was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster