nonpartisan
Americanadjective
-
not supporting or controlled by a political party, special interest group, or the like.
- Synonyms:
- disinterested
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nonpartisan
First recorded in 1880–85; non- + partisan 1
Explanation
Nonpartisan words and actions don't show allegiance to any political party. They're politically neutral. In the United States’ political system, it often seems like politicians only do what's best for their party: the Democrats or Republicans. Politicians are partisan when they act in favor of their party. To behave in a nonpartisan way is to put politics aside. A nonpartisan bill wouldn't be good just for one party: it would be good for the whole country. Politicians who are nonpartisan stop worrying about elections for a minute and get some things done.
Vocabulary lists containing nonpartisan
One Nation, Under Vocabulary: Political Parlance
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Just Mercy
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Civics II
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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.
The CBO is the nonpartisan federal agency that provides Congress with independent analysis of budgetary and economic issues.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Pew is a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research group.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
But Bill Brewer, the Dallas lawyer whose firm handled Ramos’ case in Farmers Branch, said he believes the ruling could actually help advocates win some challenges involving nonpartisan races.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
This story was produced in partnership with Deep South Today, a network of nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsrooms in Louisiana and Mississippi.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
Sometime early in 1992, he’d been approached by the leaders of a national nonpartisan organization called Project VOTE!, which spearheaded efforts to register new voters in states where minority turnout was traditionally low.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
