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
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.
The political leadership of both of our major parties must step up to sustain the research enterprise in our public and private universities. — Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 16 June 2026 Independent candidates shouldn’t have a higher threshold than those affiliated with the two major parties. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026 Both major parties have national operations to monitor elections, including legal teams ready to file challenges. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 The next presidential election is more than two years away, but a speculative roster of names for both major parties has already emerged, with Newsom near the top of the list for the Democrats. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 26 June 2026 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

Rhymes for major party

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Browse Nearby Words

major order
major party
major penalty
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Cite this Entry

“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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