What does "party" mean?
A person or group of people constituting one side in a legal proceeding, such as in a legal action or a contract.
Party
/ˈpɑː.ti/ adj, adv, noun, verb, slang
adj, adv, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person or group of people constituting one side in a legal proceeding, such as in a legal action or a contract.
- Grammar: party is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a party to, accessory, accomplice, accusant.
- Useful contrasts: abstain, arbiters, arbitrator.
- Usage evidence: The bottles of beer that I brought to the party were redundant; the host's family owned a brewery.
How to use "party"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "party" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "party" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "party" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "party" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "party" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a party to" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "party", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person or group of people constituting one side in a legal proceeding, such as in a legal action or a contract.
"The contract requires that the party of the first part pay the fee."
- 2 an occasion on which people can assemble for social interaction and entertainment wordnet
- 3 A person; an individual. dated, humorous, slang, vulgar
"He is a queer party."
- 4 a gathering of people for pleasure wordnet
- 5 A person; an individual.; With to: someone who takes part in an action or affair; an accessory. dated, humorous, slang, vulgar
"I can't possibly be a party to that kind of reckless behaviour."
Show 17 more definitions
- 6 an organization to gain political power wordnet
- 7 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction. archaic, broadly
"A mile back in the forest the tribe had heard the fierce challenge of the gorilla, and, as was his custom when any danger threatened, Kerchak called his people together, partly for mutual protection against a common enemy, since this gorilla might be but one of a party of several, and also to see that all members of the tribe were accounted for."
- 8 a band of people associated temporarily in some activity wordnet
- 9 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction.; A political group considered as a formal whole, usually organized on a national basis, which contests elections and aims to form or take part in a government; a political party. archaic, broadly
"The green party took 12% of the vote."
- 10 a person involved in legal proceedings wordnet
- 11 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction.; A political group considered as a formal whole, usually organized on a national basis, which contests elections and aims to form or take part in a government; a political party.; The Communist Party, especially as the sole political party of a communist state. archaic, broadly
- 12 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction.; A political group considered as a formal whole, usually organized on a national basis, which contests elections and aims to form or take part in a government; a political party.; The feeling of solidarity with and support for one's political party; partisanship, especially in political matters. archaic, broadly, dated
- 13 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction.; Active player characters organized into a single group. Internet, archaic, broadly
- 14 A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest, etc., or united in maintaining a cause, policy, or opinion in opposition to others; a faction.; A group of characters controlled by the player. archaic, broadly
- 15 A detachment of troops selected for a particular service or duty.
"boarding party"
- 16 A group of people gathered together, especially temporarily, for a specific purpose such as travel or sport.
"We're expecting a large party from the London office."
- 17 A group of people gathered together, especially temporarily, for a specific purpose such as travel or sport.; A social gathering, usually of invited guests, which typically involves eating, drinking, and entertainment and often held to celebrate a particular occasion.
"I'm throwing a huge party for my 21st birthday."
- 18 A group of people gathered together, especially temporarily, for a specific purpose such as travel or sport.; A gathering of acquaintances so that one of them may offer items for sale to the rest of them.
"Tupperware party"
- 19 A small group of birds or mammals.
"Small parties of cattle were seen browsing in places where they must with with difficulty have kept their footing[.]"
- 20 A part or portion. obsolete
"And so the moost party of the castel that was falle doune thorugh that dolorous stroke laye vpon Pellam and balyn thre dayes."
- 21 A prospective partner or an offer of marriage. obsolete
- 22 A decision, resolution, agreement. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To celebrate at a party, to have fun, to enjoy oneself. intransitive
"We partied until the early hours."
- 2 have or participate in a party wordnet
- 3 To take recreational drugs. euphemistic, intransitive, slang
"“Miss, do you party?” the boy asked. “What?” Jennifer asked back. “Do you smoke? I'll get you some cheap. One American dollar equals forty Jamaican dollars. I'll get you as much of the stuff as you need.”"
- 4 To engage in flings, to have one-night stands, to sow one's wild oats. intransitive
- 5 To form a party (with). Internet, intransitive
"If you want to beat that monster, you should party with a healer."
Adjective
- 1 Divided; in part.; Divided into parts of different tinctures, usually equal, and especially following the lines of one of the ordinaries. not-comparable, obsolete
"an escutcheon party per pale"
- 2 Divided; in part.; Shared by two properties and serving to divide them. not-comparable, obsolete, rare
"Now converging, now diverging, these fences presented a striking irregularity of contour. No fence was party, nor any part of any fence."
- 3 Favoring one party; partisan. not-comparable
Adverb
- 1 Partly. obsolete
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The bottles of beer that I brought to the party were redundant; the host's family owned a brewery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "party"?
Common synonyms include: a party to, accessory, accomplice, accusant, accuser, actor.
How do you use "party" in a sentence?
The bottles of beer that I brought to the party were redundant; the host's family owned a brewery.
How do you pronounce "party"?
Pronounced /ˈpɑː.ti/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English party, partye, partie, from Anglo-Norman partie, from Old French partie (“side, part; portion, share; separation, division”, literally “that which is divided”), noun use of feminine of past participle of Old French partir (“to divide, separate”), from Latin partire (“to share, part, distribute, divide”), from pars (“a part, piece, a share”); see also part. First attested in c. 1300. Doublet of partita. The sense of communist party of a communist state derives Russian партия (partija), short for Коммунистическая партия (Kommunističeskaja partija).
Etymology 2
From Middle English party, from Old French parti (“parted”), from Latin partītus (“parted”), past participle of partiō (“to divide”). More at part.