two-party

adjective

two-par·​ty ˈtü-ˈpär-tē 

: characterized by two major political parties of comparable strength

Examples of two-party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite its preference for Democratic governors, Colorado was, until not that long ago, a competitive two-party state. — Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026

In the United States, the two-party system raises significantly the political cost of accountability. — Cristina Buarque De Hollanda, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026

The actor, whose political beliefs don’t cleanly map onto the modern divisions of the two-party system, has both a reverence for America as a set of ideals and an awareness of the faults within its history that creates interesting textual friction. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026

Former 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang, for example, has pushed for representation beyond the two-party system, but has arguably encountered limited success with his Forward Party. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above