Partisan

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/, /ËŒpɑː.təˈzæn/
• US IPA: /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zÉ™n/, /ˈpɑɹ.tÉ™.zÉ™n/

Alternative forms

• partizan

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano ("defender of a party"), from parte ("part").

English from the mid-16th century. The sense of "guerilla fighter" is from c. 1690.

The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century, in the political sense since 1842.

Full definition of partisan

Noun

1. An adherent to a party or faction.
• 1924: ARISTOTLE. Metaphysics. Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001. Available at: . Book 1, Part 5.while Xenophanes, the first of these partisans of the One (for Parmenides is said to have been his pupil), gave no clear statement,
2. A fervent, sometimes militant, supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
3. A member of a band of detached light, irregular troops acting behind occupying enemy lines in the ways of harassment or sabotage; a guerrilla fighter
4. (now rare) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.

Related terms

• part
• party

Adjective

1. Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops: as, a partisan officer or corps.
2. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party; as, blinded by partisan zeal.
3. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.
• 2012, June 19, Phil McNulty, England 1-0 Ukraine, England will regard it as a measure of justice for Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup - but it was also an illustration of how they rode their luck for long periods in front of a predictably partisan home crowd.

From Middle French partizaine, partisanne et al., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1, above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).

Noun

1. (historical) A spear with a triangular, double-edged blade.
2. (obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.

Anagrams

• aspirant