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party

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈpɑɹti// UK //pˈɑːti// par·ty Archaic General-service Humorous Slang Vulgar

n. a social event where people gather to eat, drink, dance, and have fun. You usually invite friends or family to celebrate something special like a birthday.

n. a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment. It can also refer to a formal group of people with shared political aims or a person involved in a legal contract.


SIMPLE

We are having a big party for my birthday next Saturday.

CONTEXTUAL

The neighbors complained to the police because the music at the house party was too loud after midnight.

COMPLEX

While the birthday party was a lighthearted affair, the political party met in the same building to discuss serious legislative changes for the upcoming year.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English party, partye, partie, from Anglo-Norman partie, from Old French partie (“side, part; portion, share; separation, division”, literally “that which is divided”), noun use of feminine of past participle of Old French partir (“to divide, separate”), from Latin partire (“to share, part, distribute, divide”), from pars (“a part, piece, a share”); see also part. First attested in c. 1300. Doublet of partita. The sense of communist party of a communist state derives Russian партия (partija), short for Коммунистическая партия (Kommunističeskaja partija).

Etymology 2

From Middle English party, from Old French parti (“parted”), from Latin partītus (“parted”), past participle of partiō (“to divide”). More at part.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'throw', 'have', or 'host'.

Pitfall

I am going to a party of birthdayI am going to a birthday partyIn English, the purpose of the party acts as a noun adjunct before the word 'party' rather than using a prepositional phrase.

Idioms17 entries

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