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.
Almost 4 in 10 Americans said neither party is fighting for people like them, as pessimism for both major parties swells, according to a survey released Friday. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025 Earle-Sears is the first black woman to receive a major party nomination for Virginia governor. Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Apr. 2025 The moves show the kind of impact the AfD are having on the campaign and major parties. Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 1 Feb. 2025 The new government will be a coalition of all the island’s major parties except one — the Naleraq party, which has the closest connections to Mr. Trump. Maya Tekeli, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Major party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/major%20party. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!