partisanship

noun

par·​ti·​san·​ship ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship How to pronounce partisanship (audio)
-sən-
-ˌzan-
chiefly British ˌpär-tə-ˈzan-
Synonyms of partisanshipnext
: 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
The 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

Examples 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
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.
However, Khanna said partisanship does not warrant attacks on Fifield. Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026 The Court’s ruling amounts to a total inversion of the Civil War amendments, which make no such exceptions for racial discrimination in the name of partisanship. Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 Since the ruling, several GOP governors, including Georgia’s Brian Kemp, have called special legislative sessions to draw maps that dilute Black voting power while following the Court’s direction to hide behind the flimsy cover of partisanship. Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 4 June 2026 Voters are not asking for more partisanship. Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for partisanship

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of partisanship was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisanship. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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