third party

American  

noun

1. any party to an incident, case, quarrel, etc., who is incidentally involved.

2. (in a two-party system) a political party formed as a dissenting or independent group from members of one or both of the two prevailing major parties.

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third party British  

noun

1. a person who is involved by chance or only incidentally in a legal proceeding, agreement, or other transaction, esp one against whom a defendant claims indemnity

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adjective

1. insurance providing protection against liability caused by accidental injury or death of other persons or damage to their property

   third-party insurance

Etymology

Origin of third party

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

In the hopes of reaching agreements on the 16 disputed majors, California Community Colleges contracted WestEd, a nonpartisan education research agency, as a neutral third party to review the proposals.

From Los Angeles Times

The companies also maintain they are not responsible for content that third parties post under federal law.

From BBC

Okta’s key differentiator is precisely its pure-play focus on identity, where there is an advantage in the platform being a neutral third party, not a secondary feature within a broader product suite.

From Barron's

Enphase is pilot-testing a product where homeowners can have solar panels installed on their roofs, but have the panels be owned by third parties who lease them back to the property owner.

From Barron's

The rest of the financing usually comes from third parties.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mediator