plural parties
1
: a person or group taking one side of a question, dispute, or contest
The parties in the lawsuit reached an agreement.
2
: a group of persons organized for the purpose of directing the policies of a government
political parties with opposing agendas
3
: a person or group participating in an action or affair
a mountain-climbing party
a party to the transaction
4
: a particular individual : person
an old party approaching 80
5
: a detail of soldiers
The infantry repulsed a landing party from the ship.
6
: a social gathering
a dinner party
a birthday party
also
: the entertainment provided for it
party
adjective
Examples of party in a Sentence
Noun
We are having a party.
a high school dance party
Were you invited to her party?
Our New Year's Eve party was a huge success.
political parties with opposing agendas
The senator is loyal to his party.
the two parties in the marriage contract
The parties in the lawsuit reached a settlement.
Verb
He spent the weekend partying with his friends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
On the day show up when the party starts, smile, thank everyone, especially MIL then have your husband pick you up exactly when the party is due to end.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
As Varsho trotted, the Rogers Centre erupted – and the fans kept partying on the club level well past midnight.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for party
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
David Brian Pearce was convicted in February of fatally drugging Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzol after a 2021 party in Los Angeles.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
On the day show up when the party starts, smile, thank everyone, especially MIL then have your husband pick you up exactly when the party is due to end.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Numerous fakes — most bearing watermarks for OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora — have appeared online showing fake scenarios like severe flooding, images of sharks and people partying.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
As Varsho trotted, the Rogers Centre erupted – and the fans kept partying on the club level well past midnight.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for party
Cite this Entry
“Party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/party. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
party
1 of 2 noun
par·ty
ˈpärt-ē 
plural parties
1
: one side in a dispute or contest
the parties to a lawsuit
2
: a group of persons organized to influence or direct the policies of a government
3
: a person or group that takes part with others in an action or affair
a mountain-climbing party
4
: a particular individual : person
get the right party on the telephone
5
: a detail of soldiers
6
: a social gathering
also
: entertainment for such a gathering
party
adjective
party
2 of 2 verb
partied; partying
: to give or attend parties
Legal Definition
party
noun
par·ty
plural parties
1
a
: one (as a person, group, or entity) constituting alone or with others one of the sides of a proceeding, transaction, or agreement
the parties to a contract
a person who signed the instrument as a party to the instrument—Uniform Commercial Code
Uniform Commercial Code
—
accommodated party
: a party to an instrument for whose benefit an accommodation party signs and incurs liability on the instrument : a party for whose benefit an accommodation is made
—
accommodation party
: a party who signs and thereby incurs liability on an instrument that is issued for value and given for the benefit of an accommodated party
—
secured party
: a party holding a security interest in another's property
—
third party
: a person other than the principals
insurance against injury to a third party
b
: one (as an individual, firm, or corporation) that constitutes the plaintiff or defendant in an action
also
: one so involved in the prosecution or defense of a judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding as to be bound or substantially affected by the decision or judgment therein
—
adverse party
: a party to an action who is on the opposing side
specifically
: a party to a finally decided action whose interests would be served by having the judgment upheld on appeal and who is entitled to notice of an appeal
—
aggrieved party
: a party with a legally recognized interest that is injuriously affected especially by an act of a judicial or quasi-judicial body and that confers standing to appeal
called also aggrieved person, party aggrieved
—
indispensable party
: a party whose rights are so connected with the claims being litigated in an action that no judgment can be rendered without affecting or impairing those rights, no complete disposition of the action can be made without the party's joinder, and whose nonjoinder will result in the dismissal of an action compare necessary party in this entry
Note: Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 19 provides the courts with discretion in determining whether the absence of a party requires dismissal of an action, replacing an older and more rigid basis for determination. The rule states that “the court must determine whether, in equity and good conscience, the action should proceed among the existing parties or should be dismissed.”
—
innocent party
: a party having no fault in or responsibility for the situation for which judicial relief is sought : a party who comes into court with clean hands
—
necessary party
: a party whose interests are so connected with an action that he or she should be joined in order to fully determine the controversy but whose nonjoinder because of a valid excuse will not result in dismissal compare indispensable party in this entry
—
nominal party
: a party who has no actual stake in the outcome of litigation and whose inclusion as a party is solely for the purpose of conforming with procedural rules
—
party aggrieved
: aggrieved party in this entry
—
party in interest
: a person whose rights are or will be affected by an action taken especially by a government or judicial body
especially
: a person whose pecuniary interests are affected by a bankruptcy proceeding
: real party in interest in this entry
—
proper party
: a party whose interests are likely to be affected by litigation and whose inclusion in the litigation is preferable but not essential
—
real party in interest
: a party who according to the applicable law is entitled to enforce the right that forms the basis of the claim regardless of who will actually benefit by the outcome
Note: Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(a) requires that “an action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest.”
—
third party
: a person who is not a party to an action but who is or may be liable to the defendant in the action for all or part of the plaintiff's claim and against whom the defendant may bring a third-party complaint
: a person who is not a party to an action but who is or may be liable to the plaintiff in the action for all or part of a counterclaim and against whom the plaintiff may bring a third-party complaint see also third-party complaint
2
: a group of persons usually sharing a set of political ideals who are organized for the purpose of directing the policies of a government
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