bipartisan

American  

[bahy-pahr-tuh-zuhn] / baɪˈpɑr tə zən /

adjective

1. representing, characterized by, or including members from two parties or factions.

   Government leaders hope to achieve a bipartisan foreign policy.

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bipartisan British  

/ baɪˈpɑːtɪˌzæn, ˌbaɪpɑːtɪˈzæn /

adjective

1. consisting of or supported by two political parties

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Usage

What does bipartisan mean? Bipartisan means including two parties or factions, especially ones that typically oppose each other. Bipartisan is used in the context of political systems that have two dominant parties. Bipartisan is most often used to describe actions or solutions intended to counteract partisan politics, which refers to a situation in which members of each party vote along party lines and refuse to compromise. Example: Approving the budget before the deadline will take a bipartisan effort.

Other Word Forms

• bipartisanism noun
• bipartisanship noun

Etymology

Origin of bipartisan

First recorded in 1905–10; bi- ¹ + partisan ¹

Explanation

If something is bipartisan, it has the support of two political parties that normally don’t agree on much. You might read about a bipartisan plan to improve the school system where you live. The word bipartisan is easy to figure out when you break it apart: bi-, meaning “two,” plus partisan, meaning "supporter of a party." So something that’s bipartisan involves two parties finding enough common ground to support the same thing. A key aspect of something that’s bipartisan is that the two parties involved typically hold opposing views about the best way to do things, so a bipartisan agreement is one that likely involved a lot of effort, compromise, and cooperation.

Example Sentences

In 2020, Virginia voters amended the state constitution to put redistricting in the hands of a bipartisan commission to reduce partisan gerrymandering.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026

One is a bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 that is supported by the America250 group and has been accused by former executives of wastefulness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

On Monday, he and former Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, another congressman accused of inappropriate relationships with staff, resigned amid a bipartisan push led by two women to expel them from office.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

“California has been a rich goldmine for many a candidate and continues to be that,” said Michael Beckel, director of money in politics reform at Issue One, a bipartisan advocacy group.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Because nothing like the full-blooded machinery of a modern political party system existed, Adams conveyed his tentative scheme for a bipartisan initiative informally through letters and conversations sure to be picked up by the press.

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