Kuomintang

American  

[kwoh-min-tang, -tahng, gwaw-min-dahng] / ˈkwoʊˌmɪnˈtæŋ, -ˈtɑŋ, ˈgwɔˈmɪnˈdɑŋ /

noun

1. the dominant political party of China from 1928 to 1949, founded chiefly by Sun Yat-sen in 1912 and led from 1925 to 1975 by Chiang Kai-shek; the dominant party of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 1949.

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Kuomintang British  

/ ˈkwəʊˈmɪnˈtæŋ /

noun

1. the political party founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1911 and dominant in China from 1928 until 1949 under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek. Since then it has been the official ruling party of Taiwan

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Kuomintang Cultural  

1. A Chinese nationalist (see nationalism) political party founded by Sun Yat-sen, which gained control of China in the early twentieth century. Later, under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, it was defeated by the Chinese communists and became the ruling party of Taiwan, the island to which Chiang and his supporters had fled.

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Etymology

Origin of Kuomintang

< Chinese (Wade-Giles) kuo 2 min 2 tang 3 (pinyin) guómín dǎng “national people's party,” equivalent to guó “nation” + mín “people” + dǎng “party”

Example Sentences

Cheng, the chairwoman of the Kuomintang, is set to begin a two-week U.S. tour that is billed as a peace mission but also carries the weight of U.S.-China geopolitics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Cheng Li-wun, the chair of the opposition Kuomintang, met with Xi in April, the first such visit in a decade.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

In addition, Taiwan’s opposition leader Cheng Li-wun arrived in China this week for a “peace mission” at Xi’s invitation, the first visit by a Kuomintang chairperson to the mainland in a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The vote has also not gone without scandal: officials have discovered numerous forged signatures, many of deceased voters, in recall petitions against both DPP and Kuomintang lawmakers.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2025

“An officer of the Kuomintang secretly warned her,” explains my father.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan