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• tea party
  tea party

  noun

  a social gathering, usually in the afternoon, at which tea and light refreshments are served.
• Tea Party
  Tea Party

  noun

  (in the US) a political movement, associated with the right wing of the Republican Party, favouring reduction in taxation and government spending

tea party

American  

noun

tea parties plural

1. a social gathering, usually in the afternoon, at which tea and light refreshments are served.

2. (initial capital letters) a conservative political movement in the U.S. that opposes taxes and government spending: named in reference to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

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Tea Party ¹ British  

noun

1. (in the US) a political movement, associated with the right wing of the Republican Party, favouring reduction in taxation and government spending

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tea party ² British  

noun

1. a social gathering in the afternoon at which tea is served

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tea parties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tea party

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

“But we used to play tea party with this,” I replied, rescuing the lion and bringing it back inside.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

With so many stations closed or short on gas, it felt like the Mad Hatter’s tea party paradox: “Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Ostensibly, this was simply a tea party; in reality, it brought together like-minded souls who had known one another since the prewar era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

Once the press gets wind that Mary’s marriage has ended, the gossip is relentless, and the one-time belle of the ball can’t rustle up so much as a small tea party.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

I had planned a private good-bye tea party in her room with almond cookies and rice cakes.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz