third-party

1 of 2

adjective

third-par·​ty ˈthərd-ˈpär-tē 

1

: of, relating to, or involving a third party

third-party insurance

2

: of, relating to, or being software that is created by a vendor to be compatible with the products of another vendor

third party

2 of 2

noun

1

: a person other than the principals

a third party to a divorce proceeding

insurance against injury to third parties

2

a

: a major political party operating over a limited period of time in addition to two other major parties in a nation or state normally characterized by a two-party system

b

: minor party

Examples of third-party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For example, large cloud service providers are making major investments by implementing PQC into their offerings, and one-third of respondents to the Data Threat Report are relying on third-party cloud and telecom service providers for that support. —Todd Moore, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

Nintendo aside, the Switch 2 seems well-positioned to receive able portable-ready ports of some of the more demanding third-party games in the foreseeable future. —ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025

Noun

But Apple needed to partner with and use a third party to help deliver AI integration to their OS and apps. —Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

But, by granting sweeping immunity for any content posted by third parties, platforms were disincentivized from making good-faith efforts to protect kids. —Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

third party

noun

1

: a person other than the main participants

a third party to the legal proceedings

2

a

: a political party operating usually for a limited time in addition to the two major parties in a 2-party system

b

: minor party

Legal Definition

third party

see party sense 1a, b