- party
- I UK [ˈpɑː(r)tɪ] / US [ˈpɑrtɪ]
noun [countable]
Word forms "party":
singular party plural parties
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1) a social event at which people meet to celebrate something or to have fun by eating and drinking, dancing, playing games etcAre you going to Sally's birthday party?
give/have/throw/host a party (for someone/something):There's going to be a party to celebrate the completion of the project.
a farewell party (= when someone leaves a place):We're having a big party for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
a surprise party:It's Jane's farewell party on Friday night.
It was his birthday and I'd planned a surprise party for him.
2)a) an organized group of people who have similar ideas about the way in which a country should be governed, and who work together to try to persuade people to vote for them in elections: can be followed by a singular or plural verbthe two main political parties
an opposition/a ruling party:a lifelong member of the Conservative party
The opposition parties had benefited from the problems of the ruling party.
b) [only before noun] belonging to or connected with a political partyparty members/policy
the party faithful (= the members who always support a party):the former party chairman
measures that have angered the party faithful
3) a group of people who are going somewhere together, or who are all involved in the same activity: can be followed by a singular or plural verba rescue party
party of:a coach party touring the Lake District
a party of tourists
4) formal a person or group involved in something such as an agreement or disagreement, especially a contract or legal case, with another person or groupparty to:an interested party:the parties to the 1930 agreement
The planning team will announce details next week at a meeting for interested parties.
•(a) party to something
— formal involved in a particular activity, especially something criminal or dishonestI felt certain she was a party to his deception.
the guilty/innocent party
— the person who is responsible or not responsible for something wrong or illegal that has been done
II UK [ˈpɑː(r)tɪ] / US [ˈpɑrtɪ] verb [intransitive]
Word forms "party":
present tense I/you/we/they party he/she/it parties present participle partying past tense partied past participle partied informalto have fun eating and drinking, dancing etc with other peopleWe've been partying all weekend.
English dictionary. 2014.