tea party

noun

1

: an afternoon social gathering at which tea is served

2

[from the Boston Tea Party, name applied to the occasion in 1773 when a shipment of tea was thrown into Boston harbor in protest against the tax on imports] : an exciting disturbance or proceeding

3

usually Tea Party : a 21st century U.S. political movement in favor of lower taxes, fewer government regulations and programs, strict immigration control, and a strong military

"Tea Party" has become something of a catch-all term to describe an impassioned and empowered group of populist conservatives. They are largely antigovernment, a lot of them are self-described libertarians, and many say they are new to political activism. It is easy to think of them as a singular entity and a growing one.

—Mark Leibovich

Conservative activists started holding "Tea Party" protests in 2009 to vent outrage over federal stimulus spending, the Wall Street bailout and rising national debt. The movement quickly had an electoral impact, culminating in the 2010 midterm elections when the GOP captured the House.

—Martha T. Moore

Examples of tea party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yogurt Parfaits These make ahead yogurt parfaits only look like fussy tea party food. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2024

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants and first female governor of South Carolina, was a tea party darling. —Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024

Enjoy an educational walk and tea party at the University of California Botanical Garden. —Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024

Kate's birthday is usually a private and low-key affair, which in the past has included tea parties, family time and relaxing at their country home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall. —Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024

Cucumber tea sandwiches make a command performance at most baby or wedding showers, Mother’s Day tea parties and spring brunch. —Jan Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Mar. 2024

Alice seems happily content with Chauncey, sitting down for a tea party with him and playing hide and seek. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024

Kitty didn’t want to do the sewing clubs and the tea parties. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024

Instead of the dour, moralistic tales that were considered appropriate nursery fare at the time, Dodgson served up absurdist takes on Victorian England’s polite tea parties, its eccentric dons, its gossipy news stories, its popular poems, songs, dances, and parlor games. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1