SINCE 1828
minor party
nounDefinition of minor party
: a political party whose electoral strength is so small as to prevent its gaining control of a government except in rare and exceptional circumstances
Examples of minor party in a Sentence
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The deadline for independents and minor party candidates to qualify is Aug. 20. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al.com, "Gov. Kay Ivey sets special election to fill Jimmy Martin’s House seat," 11 June 2019 Of those, the paper found that 45 percent were Democrats, 24 percent were Republicans and 27 percent were unaffiliated or from minor parties. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "West Virginia Supreme Court denies Blankenship bid to get on Senate ballot," 30 Aug. 2018 The anti-Muslim, anti-immigration minor party One Nation won seats in Parliament at elections in 2016 for the first time in 20 years. — Rod Mcguirk, Fox News, "Watchdog says Australia lawmakers increasingly exploit race," 6 Aug. 2018 The anti-Muslim, anti-immigration minor party One Nation won seats in Parliament at elections in 2016 for the first time in 20 years. — Rod Mcguirk, The Seattle Times, "Watchdog says Australia lawmakers increasingly exploit race," 6 Aug. 2018 The election pits a loose grouping of Fretilin and a minor party against a formal alliance of three parties led by Gusmao’s party, which together voted against Fretilin’s policy program and budget, resulting in the new election. — Washington Post, "East Timor hero calls for restraint after campaign violence," 7 May 2018 The deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, who is the leader of a minor party, is acting prime minister in her absence. — New York Times, "New Zealand’s Leader, Jacinda Ardern, Introduces Baby Daughter," 23 June 2018 There are also another 35,034 voters unaffiliated with either major party and another 800 or so belonging to one of the minor parties. — The Aegis, "Your duty calls [Editorial]," 22 June 2018 Maha Kamel and her sister, both under 30, voted for a candidate on a minor party list. — Philip Issa, Fox News, "At Iraq's polls, many voters seek patronage and jobs," 13 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minor party.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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