partisanship

noun

ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship How to pronounce partisanship (audio)
Definition of partisanshipnext
1
as in bias
an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities partisanship can discourage any serious search for the truth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices there's a pervasive partisanship in the company that prevents it from acknowledging that other companies are outpacing it with innovative ideas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of partisanship Most networks and major news organizations have social media policies that frown on overt partisanship. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026 Doubtless, when the midterm elections are over and the next Congress convenes in January, fierce partisanship and angry polarization will continue unabated in the United States. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 These are the reasons for antagonism to Mayor Levy, not hyper-partisanship. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 More Democratic voters fled partisanship altogether over the past two years than Republicans, data show. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for partisanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisanship
  1. bias
  2. bigotry
  3. prejudice
  4. dogmatism
  5. partiality
  6. intolerance
  7. sectarianism
  8. illiberalism
Noun
  • However, the appointment has received flak, as comments James made about the case before she was tapped to lead the investigation have drawn accusations of bias from lawyers of the seven men accused.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Psychologists call it normalcy bias — the idea that tomorrow will look a lot like yesterday.
    — Marc Silver, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of bias
Noun
  • For the moment, Trump’s vicious bigotry has alienated most independent voters and even some Republicans.
    — David Yassky, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Anti-white bigotry has become accepted and, at times, rewarded in public discourse.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bigotry
Noun
  • The incident has renewed concerns about anti-Hindu prejudice and the safety of religious and cultural celebrations in the United States.
    — Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The show explores immigration, prejudice and what the American Dream costs, with stories from both sides of the law.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of prejudice
Noun
  • When authenticity becomes uncompromising, candor turns belligerent, consistency becomes rigid, or principled decision-making morphs into dogmatism, even the best intentions can backfire.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of dogmatism
Noun
  • Protesters outside the museum on October 8 expressed frustration at the university’s underfunding of the arts and partiality to sports, noting that DePaul broke ground on a new $42 million sports complex just weeks earlier.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Meta insisted its recent operational incidents come from technical limitations rather than any partiality.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of partiality
Noun
  • Critics said that his case reflected Beijing’s emphasis on security and intolerance of dissent, even though Macao’s pro-democracy movement has never been as influential as that in neighboring Hong Kong.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • And because so many Montreal chefs have passed through Morin’s kitchens, his influence looms large over the city’s fine dining scene—and its spirit of hospitality toward those with allergies and intolerances.
    — Luke Pyenson, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of intolerance
Noun
  • The pullout, however, leaves a new Iraqi government with the daunting task of loosening Iran’s grip on its neighbor, which has long been trapped in a cycle of sectarianism, foreign meddling and civil conflict.
    — Sarah Tamimi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sectarianism
Noun
  • Resorting to violence merely strengthens the forces of illiberalism and sense of disorder upon which Trumpism feeds.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The signal predicament of our era is the global rise of illiberalism and intolerance.
    — Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of illiberalism

Browse Nearby Words

partisans
partisanship
partition
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisanship. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All