major party

American  

noun

1. a political party with enough electoral strength to periodically gain control of the government or to effectively oppose the party in power.

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Etymology

Origin of major party

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

major party

It is also one of the first times in recent British political history that neither major party has finished in the top two of such a vote.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

"We are sorry that we have lost 2% of our branch chairs, some of whom failed vetting. But we're the only major party that does this sort of vetting."

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025

Candelaria said that he is not registered with either major party but that he often attends local political events and has never seen one get so contentious.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2025

“It is symbolic and important that it’s something that no serious presidential candidate with a major party who got the nomination has been saying before,” Bender said in a phone interview.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2024

What’s more, he had achieved this near-victory without the support of a major party.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson