Bipartisan is a two-part word. The first element is the prefix bi-, which means "two"; the second is partisan, a word that traces through Middle French and north Italian dialect to the Latin part- or pars, meaning "part." Partisan itself has a long history as a word in English. It has been used as a noun in reference to a firm adherent to a party, faction, or cause (especially one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance), since the 16th century. The related adjective (meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of a partisan") appeared in the 19th century, as did, after a space of some 50 years, the adjective bipartisan.
Quotes--> In his first Inaugural Address, Jefferson sounded a conciliatory, bipartisan note, averring that "we are all Republicans, we are all Federalists"—a trope copied in many inaugural addresses to follow. — Sean Wilentz , Newsweek , 27 Jan. 2009
Seasoned observers of Washington tend to dismiss such talk of national unity and bipartisan cooperation as meaningless political boilerplate … — Larissa MacFarquhar , New Yorker , 7 May 2007
Two recent national bipartisan blue-ribbon panels, the National Research Council Committee on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children and the National Reading Panel, came to converging conclusions. — Bennet A. Shawitz , New Republic , 6 Nov. 2000
Extra Examples--> The bill has bipartisan support.Recent Examples on the Web America’s Bipartisan Path Forward The next U.S. Congress has a unique opportunity to learn from these global regulatory approaches and craft a bipartisan framework that provides clarity, promotes innovation, and protects consumers. — Tonya Evans, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024 The president will point out that Republicans voted unanimously against his climate bill, and many voted against Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. — Ella Nilsen, CNN, 22 Sep. 2024 The big picture: The bill will need bipartisan support because a handful of Republicans are expected to vote against it. — Juliegrace Brufke, Axios, 22 Sep. 2024 And that’s why he’s been working so hard, in a bipartisan way, to -- to make that happen. — ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bipartisan
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bipartisan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.