tea party

noun

1

: an afternoon social gathering at which tea is served

2

[from the Boston Tea Party, name applied to the occasion in 1773 when a shipment of tea was thrown into Boston harbor in protest against the tax on imports] : an exciting disturbance or proceeding

3

usually Tea Party : a 21st century U.S. political movement in favor of lower taxes, fewer government regulations and programs, strict immigration control, and a strong military

"Tea Party" has become something of a catch-all term to describe an impassioned and empowered group of populist conservatives. They are largely antigovernment, a lot of them are self-described libertarians, and many say they are new to political activism. It is easy to think of them as a singular entity and a growing one.

—Mark Leibovich

Conservative activists started holding "Tea Party" protests in 2009 to vent outrage over federal stimulus spending, the Wall Street bailout and rising national debt. The movement quickly had an electoral impact, culminating in the 2010 midterm elections when the GOP captured the House.

—Martha T. Moore

Examples of tea party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But that should not be a factor in whether the shower is a tea party or a cocktail party. —Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2024

Okay, watching Andrew Garfield have a tea party with a child has bisexually devastated me. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024

Rubio, undaunted by the prospect of taking on the man who was then the state’s top Republican and sensing a shift in voters’ mood as the tea party movement was rising, ran for his party’s nomination. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024

Wine clubs, book clubs, tea parties and a menu of brunch classics keep this wine pub filled with locals year-round. —Usa Today Network, USA TODAY, 29 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1