party

American  

[pahr-tee] / ˈpɑr ti /

noun

• parties
  plural

1. a social gathering, as of invited guests at a private home, for conversation, refreshments, entertainment, etc..

   a cocktail party.

   Synonyms:

   assemblage, meeting

2. a group gathered for a special purpose or task.

   a fishing party; a search party.

3. a detachment, squad, or detail of troops assigned to perform some particular mission or service.

4. a group of persons with common purposes or opinions who support one side of a dispute, question, debate, etc.

   Synonyms:

   ring, coterie, circle, faction

5. 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.

6. the system of taking sides on public or political questions or the like.

7. attachment or devotion to one side or faction; partisanship.

   to put considerations of party first.

8. Law.

   1. one of the litigants in a legal proceeding; a plaintiff or defendant in a suit.

   2. a signatory to a legal instrument.

   3. a person participating in or otherwise privy to a crime.

9. a person or group that participates in some action, affair, plan, etc.; participant.

   He was a party to the merger deal.

10. the person under consideration; a specific individual.

    The package was delivered to the wrong party.

11. 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.

12. a person participating in a telephone conversation.

    I have your party on the line.

13. 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.

14. something lively, stimulating, or bustling: That plastic water bottle is a germ party.

    It’s so delicious, it’s like a party in your mouth.

    That plastic water bottle is a germ party.

15. 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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a party or faction; partisan.

   party leaders.

2. of or for a social gathering.

   her new party dress.

3. being shared by or pertaining to two or more persons or things.

4. Heraldry. (of an escutcheon) having the field divided into a number of parts, usually two; parted.

verb (used without object)

Informal.

• parties,
  present (3rd person singular)
• partied,
  past participle,  past
• partying
  present participle

1. to go to or give parties, especially a series of parties.

2. to enjoy oneself thoroughly and without restraint; indulge in pleasure.

party British  

/ ˈpɑːtɪ /

noun

1. 1. a social gathering for pleasure, often held as a celebration

   2. ( as modifier )

      party spirit

   3. ( in combination )

      partygoer

2. a group of people associated in some activity

   a rescue party

3. 1. (often capital) a group of people organized together to further a common political aim, such as the election of its candidates to public office

   2. ( as modifier )

      party politics

4. the practice of taking sides on public issues

5. a person, esp one who participates in some activity such as entering into a contract

6. the person or persons taking part in legal proceedings, such as plaintiff or prosecutor

   a party to the action

7. informal a person

   he's an odd old party

8. to take part or become involved

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verb

1. informal to celebrate; revel

adjective

1. heraldry (of a shield) divided vertically into two colours, metals, or furs

party Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing party

• life of the party

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Usage

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.

Synonym Usage

See company.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subparty
  noun
• interparty
  adjective
• nonparty
  adjective
• partyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• parties
  plural

Participles

• partying
  present
• partied
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• party
  simple
• parties
  simple
• have partied
  perfect
• has partied
  perfect
• am partying
  progressive
• are partying
  progressive
• is partying
  progressive
• have been partying
  perfect progressive
• has been partying
  perfect progressive

Past

• partied
  simple
• had partied
  perfect
• was partying
  progressive
• were partying
  progressive
• had been partying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will party
  simple
• will have partied
  perfect
• will be partying
  progressive
• will have been partying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of party

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English partie, paarty, from Old French, noun use of feminine of parti, past participle of partir “to divide, separate, go away,” from Latin partīre “to share, divide”; see part

Explanation

If you have a party, you invite people who will likely get along and like each other. If you join a political party, you choose the one whose members share your views. Party comes from part, which means "a division in the whole." You can see this in political parties: the groups that make up the whole of voters in a nation. Party also means "person or group," which we are reminded of at restaurants when asked, "How many are in your party?" This is how party as in "a social gathering" or as a verb — the act of enjoying yourself at such a gathering — came about.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

party parties partied partying

The warning has put the party at odds with its own president.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

In November 2025, a faction of the party, which observers say represented the majority of members, held a contentious national convention in Ibadan, Oyo state, despite court orders attempting to stop it.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Lineage and every responsible party must be held accountable for the full cost of recovery.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

James Fame Ndongo, a senior ruling party figure and higher education minister, dismissed claims of a power vacuum last month, insisting the president continued to oversee state affairs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

A rifle leans against his grandfather’s leg and I wonder if this drawing was made of the hunting party, of the day Theo was to have gone off to war.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

SpaceX also maintains connections with lawmakers of both parties, contributing to campaigns and creating thousands of jobs around the country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

In July, the two parties settled the suit for an undisclosed sum.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We would encourage all parties to continue working collaboratively in the interests of patients and to support the stability of the health service," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Whatever the outcome, the parties are all but certain to appeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

"Asleep. Three parties and a gallery launch tonight. He's attracting a lot of attention."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Too many times, she said, residents of a nearby homeless encampment have partied late into the night — sometimes yelling, sometimes blasting music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

There was Dutch Corner, where an army of orange-clad supporters camped out for days and partied to EDM while waiting for the race.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

They partied among the peñas, but never of them.

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025

He even partied with opposition players after one of the worst defeats of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2025

When the book was finished, he and a group of friends hiked to the top and partied there till dawn.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

People came to the Network School for self-improvement rather than partying, and there were plenty of women, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

To locate the immune cells that were "partying all night," as Macauley described them, the researchers also used a technique called light sheet microscopy.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

Attendees were increasingly looking for experiences that were not just about partying but where they could "recharge and reconnect" with their wellbeing, organisers said.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

It’s like, “Wait, you’re getting married, but you’re still partying the way that we did when we were in college.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

“We need to head down this road and take the second left. That one runs into the big street where we saw all that partying going on.”

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

Related Words

• association
• bloc
• body
• faction
• side
• union