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partisanship

[pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn; Brit. pahr-tuh-zan]

noun

an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

Military. a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army.

adjective

of, pertaining to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc.: partisan politics.

of, pertaining to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.

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Partisanship is always a great word to know.

So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

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Also, partizan.

Origin:
1545–55; < Middle French < Upper Italian parteźan (Tuscan partigiano), equivalent to part(e) faction, part + -eźan (< Vulgar Latin *-ēs- -ese + Latin -iānus -ian)

Related forms

par·ti·san·ship, par·ti·san·ry, noun

Synonyms
1. See follower. 3. biased, prejudiced.

Antonyms
1. opponent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To partisanship

Example Sentences

Such partisanship is why journalism has deteriorated.

Each coincided with periods of civil unrest and bitter partisanship.

But the problem this morning isn't one of excessive partisanship.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

partisan or partizan¹ (ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn, ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn, ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn, ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn)

—n
1.	an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc
2.	a. a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II
	b. (as modifier): partisan forces

—*adj*
3.	of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan
4.	relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sided: partisan control

[C16: via French, from Old Italian partigiano, from parte faction, from Latin parspart]

partizan or partizan¹

—n

—*adj*

[C16: via French, from Old Italian partigiano, from parte faction, from Latin parspart]

parti'sanship or partizan¹

—n

parti'zanship or partizan¹

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Matching Quote

"One of its [James A. Garfield's assassination] lessons, perhaps its most important lesson, is the folly, the wickedness, and the danger of the extreme and bitter partisanship which so largely prevails in our country. This partisan bitterness is greatly aggravated by that system of appointments and removals which deals with public offices as rewards for services rendered to political parties or to party leaders. Hence crowds of importunate place-hunters of whose dregs [the assassin] Guiteau is the type. The required reform [of the civil service] will be accomplished whenever the people imperatively demand it, not only of their Executive, but also of their legislative officers. With it, the class to which the assassin belongs will lose their occupation, and the temptation to try "to administer government by assassination" will be taken away."

-Rutherford Birchard Hayes

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