Whig

noun

ˈhwig  ˈwig 

1

: a member or supporter of a major British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries seeking to limit the royal authority and increase parliamentary power compare tory

2

: an American favoring independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution

3

: a member or supporter of an American political party formed about 1834 in opposition to the Jacksonian Democrats, associated chiefly with manufacturing, commercial, and financial interests, and succeeded about 1854 by the Republican Party

Whig adjective

Whiggism

ˈ(h)wi-ˌgi-zəm 

noun

Examples of Whig in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Years later, Brown would embark on life as a musician and busy producer-engineer, working on records by the Smashing Pumpkins, Afghan Whigs, Miley Cyrus and his own indie rock band Catherine, but a stint behind the counter always eluded him. —Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024

During the 1840 election, rumors circulated that the Whig Party had paid residents of Pennsylvania to cross state lines and cast votes in New York during the 1838 election. —Peter Suciu, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

The 1840 presidential election pitted Whig candidate William Henry Harrison — known as Old Tippecanoe, a nickname from his 1811 military victory against Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe — against the then-president, Democrat Martin Van Buren. —Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 14 Sep. 2024

Vice President Millard Fillmore acceded to the presidency after the death of President Zachary Taylor in 1850, but Fillmore lost out on the 1852 Whig Party nomination after 53 convention ballots. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for Whiggamore, member of a Scottish group that marched to Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose the court party

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Whig

noun

ˈhwig  ˈwig 

1

: a member or supporter of a British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries trying to lessen the power of the monarch and to increase the power of the parliament

2

: an American supporting independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution

3

: a member or supporter of a 19th century American political party formed to oppose the Democrats