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partisan

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partisan¹

  • /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ UK
  • /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ UK
  • /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/ Canada, US
  • [-ɾɪ] Canada, US
  • /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/ Canada, US
  • [-ɾə] Canada, US
  • /-sən/ Canada, US
  • /ˈpɐː.tɪ.zæn/ Australia
  • /-zən/ Australia
  • [-ɾɪ] Australia
  • /ˈpɐː.tə.zɛn/ New Zealand
  • /-zən/ New Zealand
  • [-ɾə] New Zealand

Where it comes from

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.

noun partisans · partizan

  1. An adherent to a party or faction. "Strong partisans of neither party, Indiana farmers failed to act as a block […]"

    Similar: partyman

  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.

adjective more partisan · most partisan · partizan

  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.
  3. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause. partisan politics

partisan²

  • /ˈpɑː.tɪˌzæn/ UK
  • /ˌpɑː.tɪˈzæn/ UK
  • /ˈpɑɹ.tɪ.zən/ Canada, US
  • [-ɾɪ] Canada, US
  • /ˈpɑɹ.tə.zən/ Canada, US
  • [-ɾə] Canada, US
  • /-sən/ Canada, US
  • /ˈpɐː.tɪ.zæn/ Australia
  • /-zən/ Australia
  • [-ɾɪ] Australia
  • /ˈpɐː.tə.zɛn/ New Zealand
  • /-zən/ New Zealand
  • [-ɾə] New Zealand

Where it comes from

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).

noun partisans · partizan

  1. historical A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting. I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service as a partisan I could not heave.
  2. obsolete A soldier armed with such a weapon.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: partizan, sectarian, denominational, zealot, party, guerilla, aligned, guerrilla, biased, tendentious, party-spirited, one-sided, enthusiast, irregular, tendencious, underground

Translations

Every language

noun adherent to a party

Españolpartidario
हिन्दीपक्षपाती pakṣapātī, पक्षधर pakṣadhar
Portuguêspartidário
Françaismilitant, militante
Italianopartigiano, partigiana
Ελληνικάοπαδός opadós
Русскийприве́рженец privérženec, сторо́нник storónnik, аде́пт adɛ́pt, побо́рник pobórnik, партизан partizán
العربيةحِزْبِيّ ḥizbiyy

noun fervent supporter of a party

Portuguêspartidário
Françaispartisan, partisane
DeutschPartisan
Ελληνικάοπαδός opadós, θιασιώτης thiasiótis
Românăpartizan

adj serving as a commander or member of a body of detached light troops

Françaispartisan
Русскийпартиза́нский partizánskij

adj adherent to a party or faction

Portuguêspartidário
Françaispartisan, partisane
Ελληνικάμεροληπτικός meroliptikós
Русскийпарти́йный partíjnyj
العربيةحِزْبِيّ ḥizbiyy

adj devoted to a party or group

Françaispartisan, partisane
Românăpărtinitor

noun type of spear

Españolpartesana
中文闊頭槍 /阔头枪 kuòtóuqiāng
Portuguêspartasana
Françaispertuisane
DeutschPartisane
Italianopartigiana
Русскийпротаза́н protazán, алеба́рда alebárda

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Cite this
MLA

"partisan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/partisan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

partisan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/partisan

Chicago

"partisan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/partisan.

BibTeX
@misc{partisan_2026,
  title = {partisan},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/partisan},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}