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Showing results for partisan. Search instead for partisans.
Synonyms

partisan

1 American  
[pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn, pahr-tuh-zan] / ˈpɑr tə zən, -sən, ˌpɑr təˈzæn /
Sometimes partizan

noun

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

    Antonyms:
    opponent

  2. 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

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of partisans; partial to a specific party, person, etc..

    partisan politics.
    Synonyms:
    prejudiced, biased

  2. of, relating to, or carried on by military partisans or guerrillas.

partisan 2 American  
[pahr-tuh-zuhn, -suhn] / ˈpɑr tə zən, -sən /
Also partizan

noun

  1. a shafted weapon of the 16th and 17th centuries, having as a head a long spear blade with a pair of curved lobes at the base.

partisan 1 British  
/ ˈpɑːtɪˌzæn, ˌpɑːtɪˈzæn /

noun

  1. an adherent or devotee of a cause, party, etc

    1. a member of an armed resistance group within occupied territory, esp in Italy or the Balkans in World War II

    2. ( as modifier )

      partisan forces
"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

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan

  2. relating to or excessively devoted to one party, faction, etc; one-sided

    partisan control
"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
partisan 2 British  
/ ˈpɑːtɪzən /

noun

  1. a spear or pike with two opposing axe blades or spikes

"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

Related Words

See follower.

Other Word Forms

  • partisanry noun
  • partisanship noun

Etymology

Origin of partisan1

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French, from Upper Italian parteźan (Tuscan partigiano ), equivalent to part(e) “faction, part” ( part ) + -eźan (from unattested Vulgar Latin -ēs- adjective suffix of place ( -ese ) + Latin -iānus adjective suffix ( -ian )

Origin of partisan2

1550–60; < Middle French partizane < Upper Italian parteźana, probably by ellipsis from (unattested) arma parteźana “weapon borne by members of a faction”; partisan 1

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.