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.
Like in the United Kingdom and Germany, young voters are disproportionately likely to be dissatisfied with mainstream parties and their partisanship is dramatically weaker. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 The power of ethics committees to investigate and bring censure or expulsion measures to the floor is significant, but recent use has been rare and, in some cases, motivated by partisanship. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 12 Feb. 2025 Unfortunately, the ethos of party pride has been supplanted by the phenomenon of negative partisanship. John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025 These actions bring a new spirit of partisanship to the national treasure that is the Kennedy Center. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Partisanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partisanship. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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