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

Additionally, these revenue-sharing numbers don’t include third-party NIL payments, which can provide a significant advantage to schools with a large alumni base — or with wealthy benefactors, which has been the case at Oregon (Phil Knight) and Indiana (Mark Cuban), for instance. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026

Unlike gold stocks or gold ETFs, physical gold requires somewhere safe to live, whether that's a home safe, a bank vault or a third-party depository. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026

Noun

Certain information has been provided by and/or is based on third party sources and, although such information is believed to be reliable, no representation is made with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such information. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026

GoFundMe, which allows third parties to create campaigns, routinely reviews fundraisers to verify organizers and beneficiaries before releasing funds. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 23 Feb. 2026

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 also:

party sense 1a, b