partisan

1
[ pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn; British pahr-tuh-zan ]
See synonyms for: partisanpartisanship on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

  2. Military. a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army.

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc.: partisan politics.

  2. of, relating to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.

Origin of partisan

1
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Upper Italian parteźan (Tuscan partigiano ), equivalent to part(e) “faction, part” (see part) + -eźan (from unattested Vulgar Latin -ēs- adjective suffix of place (see -ese) + Latin -iānus adjective suffix (see -ian)
  • Sometimes par·ti·zan .

synonym study For partisan

1. See follower.

Other words for partisan

Opposites for partisan

Other words from partisan

  • par·ti·san·ship, par·ti·san·ry, noun

Words Nearby partisan

Other definitions for partisan (2 of 2)

partisan2
[ pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn ]

noun
  1. a shafted weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries, having as a head a long spear blade with a pair of curved lobes at the base.

Origin of partisan

2
1550–60; <Middle French partizane <Upper Italian parteźana, probably by ellipsis from (unattested) arma parteźana “weapon borne by members of a faction”; see partisan1
  • Also par·ti·zan [pahr-tuh-zuhn] /ˈpɑr tə zən/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use partisan in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for partisan (1 of 2)

partisan1

partizan

/ (ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn, ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn) /


noun
  1. an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc

    • a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II

    • (as modifier): partisan forces

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan

  2. relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sided: partisan control

Origin of partisan

1
C16: via French, from Old Italian partigiano, from parte faction, from Latin pars part

Derived forms of partisan

  • partisanship or partizanship, noun

British Dictionary definitions for partisan (2 of 2)

partisan2

partizan

/ (ˈpɑːtɪzən) /


noun
  1. a spear or pike with two opposing axe blades or spikes

Origin of partisan

2
C16: from French partizane, from Old Italian partigiana, from partigiano partisan 1

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