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.

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big tent British  

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

• big-tent
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of big tent

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

big tent

But the DSA’s big tent also accommodates dedicated Marxists and communists, including several of its 27-member National Political Committee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"Carney has built a big tent, attracting members of parliament who would not normally be associated with the Liberal party," Sevi told the BBC.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

Where do we draw the line of who gets invited into the big tent?

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2025

“It really has become the big tent of streaming. They’ve invested pretty significantly to develop a stockpile of content.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2025

At first this festival was held in a big tent, like a circus.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood