two-party

adjective

two-par·​ty ˈtü-ˈpär-tē How to pronounce two-party (audio)
: characterized by two major political parties of comparable strength

Examples of two-party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Britain’s next general election — when that proposition will be tested properly — does not have to be held until 2029, and previous challenges to two-party dominance have faded. Stephen Castle, New York Times, 4 May 2025 At the risk of piling on, Democrats also face another unexpected challenge—the global decline of mainstream center-left and center-right parties that America's two-party system can only hold back for so long. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 If Canada had a true two-party system as in the U.S., those voters would probably vote Liberal, which would have likely given Justin Trudeau a comfortable majority in 2021. The Editors, National Review, 29 Apr. 2025 The electorate has somewhat polarized, so Canada looks more like a two-party system, with the Liberals the bigger party. Stephen Maher, Time, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for two-party

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-party was in 1923

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Cite this Entry

“Two-party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-party. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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