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

Police identified Abdulkarim as an employee of NFI Industries, a third-party distributor that works with the paper manufacturer. —Austin Turner, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026

He was employed by NFI Industries, a third-party distribution company for Kimberly-Clark products, fire officials said. —Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Noun

Androw gave several workshops at the expo on opening a pizzeria restaurant, challenges of working with third party delivery services and effective marketing. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026

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, 13 Apr. 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