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

Ever since Hogan blazed the trail with his success against Gawker, ordinary Americans have increasingly turned to third-party funders, who typically front the costs of a lawsuit in exchange for a share of any recovery, for help taking on billion-dollar corporations with armies of lawyers. —George Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026

The president's order from July prohibits athletes from receiving pay-to-play payments from third-party sources. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026

Noun

Opening up the Leo tech to third parties might help Amazon compete with SpaceX’s Starlink, which already has a huge head start with 10+ million active customers. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026

Nelson has since filed copyright counterclaims of her own, alleging a third party connected to Taylor posted her images without permission. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 31 Mar. 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