a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, entertainment, etc.: a cocktail party.
a group gathered for a special purpose or task: a fishing party; a search party.
a detachment, squad, or detail of troops assigned to perform some particular mission or service.
a group of persons with common purposes or opinions who support one side of a dispute, question, debate, etc.
a group of persons with common political opinions and purposes organized for gaining political influence and governmental control and for directing government policy: the Republican Party; the Democratic Party.
the system of taking sides on public or political questions or the like.
attachment or devotion to one side or faction; partisanship: to put considerations of party first.
Law.
one of the litigants in a legal proceeding; a plaintiff or defendant in a suit.
a signatory to a legal instrument.
a person participating in or otherwise privy to a crime.
a person or group that participates in some action, affair, plan, etc.; participant: He was a party to the merger deal.
the person under consideration; a specific individual: Look at the party in the green velvet shorts.
a person or, usually, two or more persons together patronizing a restaurant, attending a social or cultural function, etc.: The headwaiter asked how many were in our party; a party of 12 French physicists touring the labs; a party of one at the small table.
a person participating in a telephone conversation: I have your party on the line.
any occasion or activity likened to a social party, as specified; session: The couple in the next apartment are having their usual dish-throwing party.
an advantageous or pleasurable situation or combination of circumstances of some duration and often of questionable character; period of content, license, exemption, etc.: The police broke in and suddenly the party was over for the nation's most notorious gunman.
adjective
of or relating to a party or faction; partisan: party leaders.
of or for a social gathering: her new party dress.
being shared by or pertaining to two or more persons or things.
Heraldry. (of an escutcheon) having the field divided into a number of parts, usually two; parted.
verb (used without object),par·tied,par·ty·ing.Informal.
to go to or give parties, especially a series of parties.
to enjoy oneself thoroughly and without restraint; indulge in pleasure.
Origin of party
1250–1300;Middle Englishpartie < Old French, noun use of feminine of parti, past participle of partir < Latinpartīre to share. See part
Related formspar·ty·less, adjectivein·ter·par·ty, adjectivenon·par·ty, adjective, noun,pluralnon·par·ties.sub·par·ty, noun,pluralsub·par·ties.Can be confusedindividualpartyperson (see usage note at the current entry)
Party meaning “a specific individual” is old in the language, going back to the 15th century, and was formerly in common use. Today, it remains standard in limited senses, chiefly the legal, and is often used humorously or condescendingly: the party holding the balloon. The word person is the neutral and common term.
"have a good time," 1922, from party (n.). Earlier as "to take the side of" (1630s). Related: Partied; partying.
party
n.
late 13c., "part, portion, side," from Old French partie "side, part; portion, share; separation, division" (12c.), literally "that which is divided," noun use of fem. past participle of partir "to divide" (see part (v.)). Political sense of "side in a contest or dispute" evolved by 1300; meaning "a person" is from mid-15c. Sense of "gathering for social pleasure" is first found 1716, from general sense of persons gathered together (originally for some specific purpose, e.g. dinner party, hunting party). Phrase the party is over is from 1937; party line is first recorded 1834 in the sense of "policy adopted by a political party," 1893 in the sense of "telephone line shared by two or more subscribers." Party pooper is from 1951, American English.
