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big tent

American  

noun

  1. a political party's or coalition's policy or doctrine of allowing and encouraging a wide range of beliefs, opinions, and views among its members.

big tent British  

noun

    1. a political approach in which a party claims to be open to a wide spectrum of constituents and groups

    2. ( as modifier )

      big-tent politics
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • big-tent adjective

Etymology

Origin of big tent

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Finding that big tent of voters gets tougher and tougher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Their big tent encompasses not just international socialist and social democratic parties but also Greens, Liberals - and even some former Conservatives.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

What are the pillars around which the big tent can be built, all the way from Mamdani to centrist Marines in Arizona?

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025

We should be a party that welcomes diversity and discussion and builds a big tent across America.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2025

Around the corner of the building, Dicey caught sight of the big tent.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

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.