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• Republican Party
  Republican Party

  noun

  one of the two major political parties in the U.S.: originated 1854–56.
• Republican party
  Republican party

  A political party that began in 1854 and is today one of the two major political parties in the United States. Originally, it was composed mainly of northerners from both major parties of the time, the Democrats and the Whigs, with some former Know-Nothings as well. The first Republicans were united by their opposition to the expansion of slavery. Their first winning presidential candidate was Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

Republican Party

American  

noun

1. one of the two major political parties in the U.S.: originated 1854–56.

2. U.S. History. Democratic-Republican Party.

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Republican Party British  

noun

1. the more conservative of the two major political parties in the US: established around 1854 Compare Democratic Party

2. any of a number of political parties in other countries, usually so named to indicate their opposition to monarchy

3. history another name for the Democratic-Republican Party

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Republican party ¹ Cultural  

1. A political party that began in 1854 and is today one of the two major political parties in the United States. Originally, it was composed mainly of northerners from both major parties of the time, the Democrats and the Whigs, with some former Know-Nothings as well. The first Republicans were united by their opposition to the expansion of slavery. Their first winning presidential candidate was Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

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Republican party ² Cultural  

1. One of the two major political parties in the United States. The party began in 1854 (see under “American History to 1865”); Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, was the first Republican president. During Reconstruction, many Republicans were eager to punish the South for its former slaveholding and for its secession from the United States. The northern Republicans, for example, supported carpetbaggers in southern governments. After Reconstruction, the Republicans favored a high protective tariff and were generally considered the defenders of northeastern and business interests. The party supported the Spanish-American War and the expansion of United States territory overseas. Some Republicans were part of the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century. In the 1920s, the party reestablished its reputation for supporting business and as being wary of any expansion of the place of government in national life. This characterization is still a reasonably accurate, if simplistic, description of basic Republican views. Since Lincoln, the Republican presidents have been Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

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The party's symbol (see also symbol) is an elephant.

The party is often called the GOP, which stands for “Grand Old Party.”

Compare meaning

How does republican-party compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Democratic Party vs. Republican Party

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Republican Party Republican party

Every time she is up for reelection, she is viewed as a vulnerable incumbent, if not the most vulnerable incumbent, in the Republican Party.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

The congresswoman was a rising star in the Republican Party, but she has faced a series of controversies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

There was a lot of talk this week of Donald Trump’s command over the Republican Party, and for good reason.

From Slate ● May 23, 2026

A website for the effort includes criticisms of the current primary system by Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks and Ron Nehring, former chairman of the California Republican Party.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026

While blacks did win the right to vote when the Republican Party came to power three years later, and even served in various offices, the interregnum lasted less than a decade.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

"Whether the Democratic party, the Republican party, or other parties, all political parties and candidates going forward can compete equally under the same rules regarding coordinated expenditures," Kavanaugh said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

In February, records show, John Alvendia contributed $10,000 to the state Republican party.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

Becerra was respected by colleagues across the aisle, including former GOP legislative leader and state Republican party chairman Jim Brulte.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026

Intriguingly, the club has no official affiliation with either the city or state Republican party organizations.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2025

Burr had alienated Jefferson and the triumphant Republican party by his disloyalty as a vice president and had lost by a landslide in his bid to become a Federalist governor of New York.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis