RINO

abbreviation or noun

plural RINOs
informal + disparaging
: a member of the Republican party who is disloyal to the party or insufficiently conservative : a Republican in name only
That led Mr [Donald] Trump to say she was "worse than a RINO," an acronym for "Republican in name only."Eric Garcia
For die-hard loyalists eager to see their party purged of any "RINO" elements, that might be a price worth paying.Philip Wallach
Any Republicans who fought him were labeled RINOs and many were knocked off in primaries, leaving a party in which the former president remains the dominant figure.Howard Kurtz

Word History

Etymology

Republican in name only

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of RINO was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near RINO

Cite this Entry

“RINO.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/RINO. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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