partisanship

American  

[pahr-tuh-zuhn-ship, -suhn] / ˈpɑr tə zənˌʃɪp, -sən /

Rarely partisanry

noun

1. support of a person, group, party, or cause, especially when seen as biased or emotional: I found myself hoping that the astronomical community would leave Pluto’s planetary status as it was and began following the debate, although my partisanship didn’t extend to letter writing.

   Regardless of the panelists’ political leanings or partisanship, all political topics will be considered for discussion.

   I found myself hoping that the astronomical community would leave Pluto’s planetary status as it was and began following the debate, although my partisanship didn’t extend to letter writing.

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Etymology

Origin of partisanship

partisan ¹ ( def. ) + -ship ( def. )

Explanation

Your partisanship is your tendency to support a particular group, cause, or viewpoint over another. While partisanship is a good quality to have if you're campaigning or rallying for a political candidate — because you believe so strongly in the person — there are some times when partisanship isn't appropriate. A judge, for example, should be neutral and not take sides, and might be accused of partisanship if she seems to favor one cause or political party. The word comes from the early Italian partezan or partigiano, "member of a faction," with its root of parte, "part or party."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

partisanship

His program—both welfare cuts and new benefits—is a model of how to set aside partisanship to help kids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

“I hope that South Carolinians will join me in setting partisanship aside and offering gratitude to Senator Lindsey Graham for his service to the great state of South Carolina,” Andrews wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Mr. Trudeau’s partisanship, however, had limits: “I don’t want people to read or not read ‘Doonesbury’ depending on whether or not they agree with my point of view,” he once said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

A wide range of factors influence voting and other political behavior, such as partisanship, political knowledge, identity, concerns about cultural and social change, media consumption, signaling from elites and personal affinity for a given candidate.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

There was considerable partisanship among the family as to the desired sex of the next baby.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• bigotry
• favoritism
• intolerance
• prejudice
• tendency
• unfairness