two-party system

American

[too-pahr-tee] / ˈtuˌpɑr ti /

noun

Government.

a political system consisting chiefly of two major parties, more or less equal in strength.

two-party system British

noun

a condition or system in which two major parties dominate a political unit

"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

Etymology

Origin of two-party system

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

two-party system

What does this mean for the long-established U.S. two-party system?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

Donaghy said Reform had broken the two-party system.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, a two-party system emerged with the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2025

Although he did not defeat Irfaan Ali, who was reelected president, Azruddin caused a major surprise in the South American nation's traditional two-party system by finishing second, surpassing former opposition leader Aubrey Norton.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025

Does this utterance of a great Conservative leader indicate any belief that the two-party system is the final and unchangeable expression of national feeling.

From Proportional Representation A Study in Methods of Election by Humphreys, John H.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023