American History.
a member of the patriotic party during the Revolutionary period; supporter of the Revolution.
a member of a political party (c1834–1855) that was formed in opposition to the Democratic Party, and favored economic expansion and a high protective tariff, while opposing the strength of the presidency in relation to the legislature.
British Politics.
a member of a major political party (1679–1832) in Great Britain that held liberal principles and favored reforms: later called the Liberal party.
(in later use) one of the more conservative members of the Liberal party.
being a Whig.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the Whigs.
a member of the English political party or grouping that opposed the succession to the throne of James, Duke of York, in 1679–80 on the grounds that he was a Catholic. Standing for a limited monarchy, the Whigs represented the great aristocracy and the moneyed middle class for the next 80 years. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the Whigs represented the desires of industrialists and Dissenters for political and social reform. The Whigs provided the core of the Liberal Party
(in the US) a supporter of the War of American Independence Compare Tory
a member of the American political party that opposed the Democrats from about 1834 to 1855 and represented propertied and professional interests
a conservative member of the Liberal Party in Great Britain
a person who advocates and believes in an unrestricted laissez-faire economy
history a 17th-century Scottish Presbyterian, esp one in rebellion against the Crown
1660–70; perhaps Scots variant of dial. fig to move briskly; see fidget
1635–45; earlier, a Covenanter, hence an opponent of the accession of James II; of uncertain origin, though probably in part a shortening of whiggamaire (later whiggamore ), a participant in the Whiggamore Raid a march against the royalists in Edinburgh launched by Covenanters in 1648 (said to represent whig to spur on ( cf. whig) + maire mare 1 )
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The two Whig parliamentarians seemed to have little in common.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
The Northern Whig, no longer in circulation, carried the headline 'invasion is going well' in its 05:00 war special issue.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2024
In 1836, Democrat Martin Van Buren defeated William Henry Harrison of the Whig Party, only to have Harrison win a rematch between the two and take the presidency four years later.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024
They were warning their fellow Whig that he needed to abandon his support for America's growing anti-slavery movement.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023
Given that this book relies in part on hindsight, many historians will feel justified in condemning it as an example of Whig history.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
