par·ty (pär t )n. pl. par·ties 1. a. A social gathering especially for pleasure or amusement: a cocktail party. b. A group of people who have gathered to participate in an activity. See Synonyms at band2. 2. An established political group organized to promote and support its principles and candidates for public office. 3. a. A person or group involved in an enterprise; a participant or an accessory: I refuse to be a party to your silly scheme. b. Law A person or group involved in a legal proceeding as a litigant. 4. a. A subscriber to a telephone party line. b. A person using a telephone. 5. A person: "And though Grainger was a spry old party, such steps couldn't be his" Anthony Hyde. 6. A selected group of soldiers: a raiding party. 7. Slang a. An act of sexual intercourse. b. An orgy. adj.1. Of, relating to, or participating in an established political organization: party members; party politics. 2. Suitable for use at a social gathering: party dresses; a party hat. 3. Characteristic of a pleasurable social gathering: a party atmosphere. intr.v. par·tied, par·ty·ing, par·ties To celebrate or carouse at or as if at a party: That night we partied until dawn.
[Middle English partie, part, side, group, from Old French, from feminine past participle of partir, to divide, from Latin part re, from pars, part-, part; see part.]
party·er, parti·er n. Usage Note: Party is unexceptionable when used to refer to a participant in a social arrangement, as in She was not named as a party in the conspiracy. It is this sense that underlies the legal use of the term, as when one speaks of the parties to a contract. The legal use has in turn led to the presence of the word in many fixed expressions, such as injured party and third party. But party is also widely used as a general substitute for person, as in Would all parties who left packages at the desk please reclaim their property. This usage has been established for many centuries, but in the Victorian era it came to be associated with the language of the semieducated (the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "shoppy"), and it has been the subject of many later criticisms. This use of party may have been reinforced in the twentieth century by its adoption by telephone operators. In other contexts, when used in earnest, it may be perceived as a superfluous variant for person. But the jocular use of the term is well established, particularly in references such as a wise old party. |
party Noun pl -ties 1. a social gathering for pleasure 2. a group of people involved in the same activity: a search party 3. a group of people sharing a common political aim 4. the person or people who take part in or are involved in something, esp. a legal action or dispute: a judge in a wig and gown who will decide who the guilty party is 5. Informal, humorous a person: he's an odd old party Verb [-ties, -tying, -tied] Informal to celebrate; have a good time [Old French partie part]
Party a company or body of persons; a detachment of troops; a group of people travelling together; a gathering for social entertainment; an assemblage or society of persons of the same political opinion. See also clique, set.Examples: party of birds, 1773; of gentlemen, 1860; of jays; of Jesus Christ, 1502; of order, 1781; of pleasures, 1728; of politicians; of prisoners, 1896; of quadrille, 1726; of whales, 1840.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  party - an organization to gain political power; "in 1992 Perot tried to organize a third party at the national level"American Labor Party - a former political party in the United States; formed in 1936 in New York when labor and liberals bolted the Democratic Party American Party, Know-Nothing Party - a former political party in the United States; active in the 1850s to keep power out of the hands of immigrants and Roman Catholics Anti-Masonic Party - a former political party in the United States; founded in 1825 in opposition to Freemasonry in public affairs Black Panthers - a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end political dominance by Whites Communist Party - a political party that actively advocates a communist form of government; in Communist countries it is the sole political party of the state Conservative Party - a political party (especially in Great Britain or Australia) that believes in the importance of a capitalist economy with private ownership rather than state control Constitutional Union Party - a former political party in the United States; formed in 1859 by former Whigs who hoped to preserve the Union Democratic Party - the older of two major political parties in the United States Democratic-Republican Party - a former major political party in the United States in the early 19th century; opposed the old Federalist party; favored a strict interpretation of the constitution in order to limit the powers of the federal government Farmer-Labor Party - a former minor political party in the United States in the early 20th century Free Soil Party - a former political party in the United States; formed in 1848 to oppose the extension of slavery into the territories; merged with the Liberty Party in 1848 Gironde - the French moderate political party that was in power (1791-1793) during the French Revolution Greenback Party - a former political party in the United States; organized in 1874; opposed any reduction in the amount of paper money in circulation Guomindang, Kuomintang - the political party founded in 1911 by Sun Yat-sen; it governed China under Chiang Kai-shek from 1928 until 1949 when the Communists took power and subsequently was the official ruling party of Taiwan labor party, labour party - a left-of-center political party formed to represent the interest of ordinary working people Liberal Democrat Party - a political party in Great Britain; formerly the Liberal Party; advocates reforms and improvement of the conditions of working people Liberal Party - a political party in Australia, Canada, and other nations, and formerly in Great Britain Liberty Party - a former political party in the United States; formed in 1839 to oppose the practice of slavery; merged with the Free Soil Party in 1848 Militant Tendency - a Trotskyist political organization in Great Britain set up in 1964 inside the Labour Party People's Party, Populist Party - a former political party in the United States; formed in 1891 to advocate currency expansion and state control of railroads Bull Moose Party, Progressive Party - a former political party in the United States; founded by Theodore Roosevelt during the presidential campaign of 1912; its emblem was a picture of a bull moose Prohibition Party - a political party in the United States; formed in 1869 to oppose the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages GOP, Republican Party - the younger of two major political parties in the United States; GOP is an acronym for grand old party Social Democratic Party - a political party in Germany and Britain (and elsewhere) founded in late 19th century; originally Marxist; now advocates the gradual transformation of capitalism into democratic socialism Socialist Labor Party - a political party in the United States; formed in 1874 to advocate the peaceful introduction of socialism Socialist Party - a political party in the United States formed in 1900 to advocate socialism | | 2. | party - a group of people gathered together for pleasure; "she joined the party after dinner"dance - a party of people assembled for dancing dinner party, dinner - a party of people assembled to have dinner together; "guests should never be late to a dinner party" reception - a formal party of people; as after a wedding open house - an informal party of people with hospitality for all comers housewarming - a party of people assembled to celebrate moving into a new home soiree - a party of people assembled in the evening (usually at a private house) shower - a party of friends assembled to present gifts (usually of a specified kind) to a person; "her friends organized a baby shower for her when she was expecting" stag party, smoker - a party for men only (or one considered suitable for men only) slumber party - an overnight party of girls who dress in nightclothes and pass the night talking mixer, sociable, social - a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity reunion - a party of former associates who have come together again | | 3. | party - a band of people associated temporarily in some activity; "they organized a party to search for food"; "the company of cooks walked into the kitchen"band, circle, lot, set - an unofficial association of people or groups; "the smart set goes there"; "they were an angry lot" landing party - a part of a ship's company organized for special duties ashore stretcher party - a party of people with stretchers to carry an injured person war party - a band of warriors who raid or fight an enemy (used especially of Native Americans) | | 4. | party - an occasion on which people can assemble for social interaction and entertainment; "he planned a party to celebrate Bastille Day"ceilidh - an informal social gathering at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing and folk dancing and story telling dance - a party for social dancing house party - a party lasting over one or more nights at a large house | | 5. | party - a person involved in legal proceedings; "the party of the first part"law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" assignee - (law) the party to whom something is assigned (e.g., someone to whom a right or property is legally transferred) assignor - (law) the party who makes an assignment intervenor - (law) a party who interposes in a pending proceeding Jane Doe - an unknown or fictitious woman who is a party to legal proceedings John Doe - an unknown or fictitious man who is a party to legal proceedings litigant, litigator - (law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation; "plaintiffs and defendants are both litigants" reversioner - (law) a party who is entitled to an estate in reversion Richard Roe - an unknown or fictitious party to legal proceedings vouchee - (law) a person called into court to defend a title | | Verb | 1. | party - have or participate in a party; "The students were partying all night before the exam"fete, celebrate - have a celebration; "They were feting the patriarch of the family"; "After the exam, the students were celebrating" rave - participate in an all-night techno dance party |
party noun 1. faction, association, alliance, grouping, set, side, league, camp, combination, coalition, clique, coterie, schism, confederacy, cabal noun 2. get-together, ( informal) celebration, do ( informal) social, at-home, gathering, function, reception, bash ( informal) rave Brit. ( slang) festivity, knees-up Brit. ( informal) beano Brit. ( slang) social gathering, shindig ( informal) soirée, rave-up Brit. ( slang) hooley or hoolie chiefly Irish, N.Z. noun 3. group, team, band, company, body, unit, squad, gathering, crew, gang, bunch ( informal) detachment Military  Translations party [ˈpɑːtɪ] n ( POL) → partido;
 party [ˈpɑːtɪ] n ( Pol) → parti m (= celebration); fête f: ( formal) → réception f: ( in evening) → soirée f (= team); équipe f (= group); groupe m;
 party [ˈpɑːtɪ] n ( Pol, Law) → Partei f; ( celebration, social event) → Party f, Fete f; dinner party → Abendgesellschaft f; our son's birthday party → die Geburtstagsfeier unseres Sohnes;
 party [ˈpɑːtɪ] n ( POL) → partito (= team); squadra; gruppo; to give or throw a party → dare una festa or un party;
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