major party

noun

: a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power

Examples of major party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The structure of some of these agencies, with members of both major parties serving staggered terms, has helped ensure some distance and independence from the White House. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025 Harris, with Biden’s backing, quickly moved to the top of the ticket with fewer than four months to campaign, becoming the first Black woman to run as a major party’s presidential nominee. Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 10 Mar. 2025 Incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek re-election, opening the field to a range of potential candidates from both major parties. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 Looking for these red flags is counterintelligence 101, an imperfect, laborious, and invasive process that American presidents of both major parties have nevertheless accepted as the cost of doing intelligence business. Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for major party

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of major party was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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