Jeffersonian

American  

[jef-er-soh-nee-uhn] / ˌdʒɛf ərˈsoʊ ni ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to or advocating the political principles and doctrines of Thomas Thomas Jefferson, especially those stressing minimum control by the central government, the inalienable rights of the individual, and the superiority of an agrarian economy and rural society.

---

noun

1. a supporter of Thomas Jefferson or Jeffersonianism.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Jeffersonianism
  noun
• pro-Jeffersonian
  adjective
• anti-Jeffersonian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jeffersonian

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; Jefferson + -ian

Compare meaning

How does jeffersonian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Hamiltonian vs. Jeffersonian

Example Sentences

Leaning heavily on Jeffersonian rhetoric, the Browns called on the “oppressed” populace to rise and assert “their natural rights” as “citizens of a free republic.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

From the Jeffersonian perspective, it was anathema to argue that government mail should not move to honor religious sensibilities, so they lost that battle.

From Salon • Oct. 11, 2024

“That is a very Jeffersonian democracy approach on siting and permitting,” said Silverman, a former top official at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023

Federalists, typified by Manhattanite Alexander Hamilton, desired a restless, churning urban nation and opposed the Jeffersonian vision of a republic of rural yeomen.

From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2023

It lacked the lyrical eloquence and the floating optimism of the Jeffersonian version because it was grounded in the palpable sense of contingency Adams had internalized over his long career.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis