nonpartisan
Americanadjective
-
not supporting or controlled by a political party, special interest group, or the like.
- Synonyms:
- disinterested
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nonpartisan
First recorded in 1880–85; non- + partisan 1
Explanation
Nonpartisan words and actions don't show allegiance to any political party. They're politically neutral. In the United States’ political system, it often seems like politicians only do what's best for their party: the Democrats or Republicans. Politicians are partisan when they act in favor of their party. To behave in a nonpartisan way is to put politics aside. A nonpartisan bill wouldn't be good just for one party: it would be good for the whole country. Politicians who are nonpartisan stop worrying about elections for a minute and get some things done.
Vocabulary lists containing nonpartisan
One Nation, Under Vocabulary: Political Parlance
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Just Mercy
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Civics II
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nonpartisan news media are also more likely to deem a topic newsworthy if there’s some conflict or controversy surrounding it.
From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025
Nonpartisan judicial elections can buck broader electoral trends.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
Nonpartisan election forecasters said Democrats could have recaptured the seat.
From Reuters • Nov. 2, 2023
Nonpartisan election analysts said the lack of losses among Democratic incumbents appeared to be a testament to strong candidates who ran strong campaigns and showed they took heated races seriously.
From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2022
In the early autumn, news came from Wakamin that the sheriff had forbidden an organizer for the National Nonpartisan League to speak anywhere in the county.
From Main Street by Lewis, Sinclair
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
