Updated February 2, 2006     Home >> Nonpartisanship Policy >> Definitions

Definitions: nonpartisan and partisan

non·par·ti·san    (from dictionary)
non·par·ti·san (nòn-pär¹tî-zen, -sen) adjective
Based on, influenced by, affiliated with, or supporting the interests or policies of no single political party: a nonpartisan commission; nonpartisan opinions.
— non·par¹ti·san noun
— non·par¹ti·san·ship´ noun

nonpartisan (adjective)   (from thesaurus)
wise: tolerant, fair-minded, enlightened, unbiased, nonpartisan
independent: nonpartisan, unaffiliated, neutral

par·ti·san    (from dictionary)
par·ti·san (pär¹tî-zen) noun
1.  A fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
2.  A member of an organized body of fighters who attack or harass an enemy, especially within occupied territory; a guerrilla.

partisan adjective    (from dictionary)
1.  Of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan or partisans.
2.  Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause: partisan politics.

[French, from Old French, from Old Italian dialectal partisano, variant of Old Italian partigiano, from parte, part, from Latin pars, part-. See part.]
— par¹ti·san·ship´ noun

partisan (adjective)   (from thesaurus)
biased: partisan, one-sided, party-minded, sectarian
sectional: partisan, clannish, cliquish, cliquey, exclusive
unjust: discriminatory, favoring, one-sided, leaning to one side, partial, partisan, prejudiced, biased
sectarian: party-minded, partisan, biased