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REFERENCE

partisan

n. · adj.
US //ˈpɑɹtəzən// UK //pˈɑːtɪsən// par·ti·san
  1. 1 a strong supporter (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a person who strongly supports a specific leader, group, or idea.

    a fervent, sometimes militant, supporter of a party, cause, or person.

    Example

    He was a lifelong partisan of the local environmental movement.

    Example

    Even within the committee, he remained a staunch partisan of the original proposal, refusing to entertain any amendments that might weaken its impact.
  2. 2 a resistance fighter (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a member of an unofficial armed group fighting against an enemy that has occupied their country.

    a member of an irregular military force operating behind enemy lines to harass or sabotage an occupying power.

    Example

    The partisans hid in the mountains and attacked the enemy supply trucks at night.

    Example

    During the occupation, local partisans coordinated with the allied forces to disrupt the enemy's communication networks through a series of calculated midnight raids.
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  1. 3 biased or one-sided (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal

    showing strong and often unfair support for one particular group or party.

    strongly biased in favour of a particular party, cause, or faction; often implies an inability to be objective.

    Example

    The newspaper was criticized for its partisan reporting during the election.

    Example

    The debate was marred by partisan bickering, which prevented the council from reaching a consensus on the urgent infrastructure budget.
  2. 4 a historical weapon (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Technical

    a type of long spear used in the past, often with a wide blade.

    a long-handled polearm with a broad, double-edged blade, common in the 16th and 17th centuries.

    Example

    The museum display showed a knight holding a heavy steel partisan.

    Example

    The ceremonial guard carried ornate partisans, their blades engraved with the royal crest to signify their status as protectors of the palace.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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).

Word family

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