partisanship
noun
par·ti·san·ship
ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship 
-sən-,
-ˌzan-,
chiefly British ˌpär-tə-ˈzan-
: the quality or state of being partisan : strong and sometimes blind adherence to a particular party, faction, cause, or person
political partisanship
The Court is so riven by partisanship that justices even pick their law clerks in ways influenced by ideology …—
Anthony Lewis
Anthony LewisThe succession of Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age was marked by bitter partisanship, endemic corruption, appalling violence and a general sense that democracy was failing.—Jon Grinspan
Jon GrinspanExamples of partisanship in a Sentence
partisanship can discourage any serious search for the truth
there's a pervasive partisanship in the company that prevents it from acknowledging that other companies are outpacing it with innovative ideas
Recent Examples on the Web
In an age of division and partisanship, few issues receive more universal support than clean water and the Chesapeake Bay.
—Kristin Reilly, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2025
Trump didn’t create partisanship, political violence or negative partisanship.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
His 1796 farewell address became a preeminent statement on republicanism: Washington wrote about the importance of national unity and the dangers that regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence pose to it.
—New Atlas, 9 June 2025
Another way in which partisanship has brought us to this incipient defeat of the constitutional order is that the Congress has been rendered all but incompetent by faction.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for partisanship
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.
Kristin Reilly, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2025
Trump didn’t create partisanship, political violence or negative partisanship.
—Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
His 1796 farewell address became a preeminent statement on republicanism: Washington wrote about the importance of national unity and the dangers that regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence pose to it.
—New Atlas, 9 June 2025
Another way in which partisanship has brought us to this incipient defeat of the constitutional order is that the Congress has been rendered all but incompetent by faction.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for partisanship
Cite this Entry
“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisanship. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share