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partisan

1
[ pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn; British pahr-tuh-zan ]
/ ˈpɑr tə zən, -sən; British ˌpɑr təˈzén /
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See synonyms for: partisan / partisanship on Thesaurus.com

noun
an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.
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
of, relating to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc.: partisan politics.
of, relating to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.
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Sometimes par·ti·zan .

Origin of partisan

1
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Upper Italian parteĆșan (Tuscan partigiano ), equivalent to part(e) “faction, part” (see part) + -eĆșan (from unattested Vulgar Latin -ēs- adjective suffix of place (see -ese) + Latin -iānus adjective suffix (see -ian)

synonym study for partisan

1. See follower.

OTHER WORDS FROM partisan

par·ti·san·ship, par·ti·san·ry, noun

Other definitions for partisan (2 of 2)

partisan2
[ pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn ]
/ ˈpɑr tə zən, -sən /

noun
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.
Also par·ti·zan [pahr-tuh-zuhn] /ˈpɑr tə zən/ .
Compare halberd.

Origin of partisan

2
1550–60; <Middle French partizane <Upper Italian parteĆșana, probably by ellipsis from (unattested) arma parteĆșana “weapon borne by members of a faction”; see partisan1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use partisan in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for partisan (1 of 2)

partisan1

partizan

/ (ˌpɑːtÉȘˈzĂŠn, ˈpɑːtÉȘˌzĂŠn) /

noun
an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc
  1. a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II
  2. (as modifier)partisan forces
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan
relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sidedpartisan control

Derived forms of partisan

partisanship or partizanship, noun

Word Origin for partisan

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

British Dictionary definitions for partisan (2 of 2)

partisan2

partizan

/ (ˈpɑːtÉȘzən) /

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

Word Origin for partisan

C16: from French partizane, from Old Italian partigiana, from partigiano partisan 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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