Dictionary

partisan en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [-ɾɪ] (Australia)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾə] (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (Australia)
• audio Queensland
• /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [-ɾə] (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾɪ] (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-sən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɐː.tə.zɛn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈpɐː.tɪ.zæn/ (Australia)

Etymology

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”). Doublet of partigiano. Attested in English from the late 15th century in the noun sense of "party adherent", and in related adjective senses from the 16th century. The "guerrilla fighter" sense influenced by Serbo-Croatian partizan, Russian партиза́н (partizán), from the same source. The sense of "guerrilla fighter" is from c. 1690. The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century.

Meanings

1. Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops.
   • partisan officer, partisan corps
2. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party.
   • They were blinded by partisan zeal.
   • Having put partisan interests to one side, Greenwood set about making teamwork a watchword for her chairmanship, while seeking the broadest possible participation in subsequent inquiries. 2020 June 3, Lilian Greenwood talks to Paul Stephen, “Rail's 'underlying challenges' remain”, in Rail, page 33:
3. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause.
   • partisan politics
   • 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. 2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:
   • He finds, not “demigods” but “a combative group of exhausted, drunken, broken, petty, partisan, scheming, squabbling, bloviating, sensory-deprived, underoxygenated, fed-up, talked-out, overheated delegates so distraught they threatened violence, secession. 2013, The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy:

Forms

Deriveds

affective partisan polarization · transpartisan · postpartisan · tripartisan · monopartisan · unipartisan · partisanize · partisanly · bipartisan · nonpartisan · antipartisan · multipartisan · hyperpartisan · unpartisan

Translations (35)

ar حِزْبِيّ (adherent to a party or faction) · bg партизански (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · cs stoupenecký (devoted to a party or group) · yi סעקטאַנטיש (adherent to a party or faction) · fi partisaani- (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · fr partisane (adherent to a party or faction) · pl partyzancki (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · ro părtinitor (devoted to a party or group) · fi puolue- (adherent to a party or faction) · fr partisan (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · yi צדדימדיק (adherent to a party or faction) · yi פּאַרטיייִש (devoted to a party or group) · cs stranický (adherent to a party or faction) · bg партиен (adherent to a party or faction) · el μεροληπτικός (adherent to a party or faction) · yi קלײַזלדיק (devoted to a party or group) · bg отдаден (devoted to a party or group) · fr partisan (adherent to a party or faction) · yi סעקטאַנטיש (devoted to a party or group) · fi ryhmäkuntainen (devoted to a party or group) · fi puolueellinen (devoted to a party or group) · ru партиза́нский (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · fi sissi- (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · cs partyzánský (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · fr partisane (devoted to a party or group) · pt partidário (adherent to a party or faction) · yi קלײַזלדיק (adherent to a party or faction) · uk партиза́нський (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · fi puolue- (devoted to a party or group) · fr partisan (devoted to a party or group) · yi פּאַרטיייִש (adherent to a party or faction) · yi צדדימדיק (devoted to a party or group) · ga claonpháirteach (adherent to a party or faction) · pl bojowniczy (serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops) · ru парти́йный (adherent to a party or faction)

partisan en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [-ɾɪ] (Australia)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾə] (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (Australia)
• audio Queensland
• /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [-ɾə] (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾɪ] (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-sən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɐː.tə.zɛn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈpɐː.tɪ.zæn/ (Australia)

Etymology

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”). Doublet of partigiano. Attested in English from the late 15th century in the noun sense of "party adherent", and in related adjective senses from the 16th century. The "guerrilla fighter" sense influenced by Serbo-Croatian partizan, Russian партиза́н (partizán), from the same source. The sense of "guerrilla fighter" is from c. 1690. The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century.

Meanings

1. An adherent to a party or faction.
   • "Strong partisans of neither party, Indiana farmers failed to act as a block […]" 1992, Thomas R. Pegram, Partisans and Progressives: Private Interest and Public Policy in Illinois:
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. (archaic) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.

Forms

Relateds

partisanism · partisanry · copartisan · part · party · partisanship

Synonyms

partyman

Translations (41)

fr partisane (fervent supporter of a party) · vo züpel (adherent to a party) · el οπαδός (fervent supporter of a party) · el θιασιώτης (fervent supporter of a party) · gd taobhaiche (adherent to a party) · hy կողմնակից (adherent to a party) · ar حِزْبِيّ (adherent to a party) · ru партизан (adherent to a party) · fi puoluepukari (fervent supporter of a party) · ru приве́рженец (adherent to a party) · io partisano (adherent to a party) · ru побо́рник (adherent to a party) · pl zwolennik (fervent supporter of a party) · it partigiano (adherent to a party) · sq anëmbajtës (adherent to a party) · ru сторо́нник (adherent to a party) · pt partidário (fervent supporter of a party) · fi kannattaja (adherent to a party) · ru аде́пт (adherent to a party) · nl aanhanger (adherent to a party) · bg привърженик (fervent supporter of a party) · fr militante (adherent to a party) · ga páirtíneach (adherent to a party) · pt partidário (adherent to a party) · hi पक्षधर (adherent to a party) · eo partizano (fervent supporter of a party) · es partidario (adherent to a party) · da partisoldat (fervent supporter of a party) · fr partisan (fervent supporter of a party) · it partigiana (adherent to a party) · ro partizan (fervent supporter of a party) · hi पक्षपाती (adherent to a party) · pl zwolenniczka (fervent supporter of a party) · de Partisan (fervent supporter of a party) · bg привърженик (adherent to a party) · hy համախոհ (adherent to a party) · cs stoupenec (adherent to a party) · el οπαδός (adherent to a party) · fi puolueaktiivi (adherent to a party) · sq anëmbajtës (fervent supporter of a party) · fr militant (adherent to a party)

partisan en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [-ɾɪ] (Australia)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/ (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾə] (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (New-Zealand)
• /-zən/ (Australia)
• audio Queensland
• /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [-ɾə] (Canada, General-American)
• [-ɾɪ] (Canada, General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-sən/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈpɐː.tə.zɛn/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈpɐː.tɪ.zæn/ (Australia)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.
   • Salisbury and his attendants were also now drawing near, with bills and partisans brandished, and bows already bended. 1825, Sir Walter Scott, The Talisman:
   • I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service as a partisan I could not heave. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
2. (obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.

Forms

Relateds

halberd

Translations (19)

pl kapralski kij (type of spear) · ru протаза́н (type of spear) · fi pertuska (type of spear) · grc πλατύλογχον (type of spear) · bg копие (type of spear) · pl partyzana (type of spear) · pt partasana (type of spear) · da partisan (type of spear) · fi pertuskamies (soldier) · kk бедерлі найза (type of spear) · it partigiana (type of spear) · ru алеба́рда (type of spear) · fr pertuisane (type of spear) · cmn 闊頭槍 /阔头枪 (type of spear) · io partizano (type of spear) · bg копиеносец (soldier) · es partesana (type of spear) · ga páirtiseán (type of spear) · de Partisane (type of spear)