partisanship

noun

par·​ti·​san·​ship ˈpär-tə-zən-ˌship How to pronounce partisanship (audio)
-sən-,
-ˌzan-,
 chiefly British  ˌpär-tə-ˈzan-
: the quality or state of being partisan : strong and sometimes blind adherence to a particular party, faction, cause, or person
political partisanship
The Court is so riven by partisanship that justices even pick their law clerks in ways influenced by ideology …Anthony Lewis
The succession of Civil War, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age was marked by bitter partisanship, endemic corruption, appalling violence and a general sense that democracy was failing.Jon Grinspan

Examples of partisanship in a Sentence

partisanship can discourage any serious search for the truth there's a pervasive partisanship in the company that prevents it from acknowledging that other companies are outpacing it with innovative ideas
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.
Some foreign reporters have honed in on not only the divides between Trump and Harris, but individual lawmakers, at a time when the increasing partisanship is impacting foreign policy. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Embracing Trump Major public companies and CEOs in the U.S., particularly those that sell products to the general public, typically avoid overt political partisanship to avoid alienating potential customers. Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Beyond partisanship, the kinds of organizations that are sponsoring and conducting polls matters, too. Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 The truncated 2024 campaign has been visible through a lens fractured by partisanship and new media, in which three dimensions become two. The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for partisanship 

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of partisanship was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near partisanship

Cite this Entry

“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisanship. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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