# party

/ˈpɑɹti/ (US) · /pˈɑːti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/party
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. social event

noun · CEFR A1

a social meeting where people enjoy themselves by eating, drinking, and talking.

For teachers: a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment.

- We are having a small party at our house to celebrate his birthday.
- The company hosted an elaborate year-end party to reward the staff for their exceptional performance during the merger.

### 2. political organisation

noun · CEFR B1

an organised group of people with similar political aims who try to get elected.

For teachers: an organised political group that seeks to influence or control government policy, usually by nominating candidates and competing in elections.

- She decided to join the Green Party because she cares about the environment.
- The ruling party faced significant opposition after proposing a controversial tax reform that affected middle-income households.

### 3. legal side

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a person or group of people involved in a legal case or a contract.

For teachers: a person or entity constituting one of the sides in a legal proceeding, contract, or transaction.

- Both parties must sign the contract before the sale is final.
- The mediator requested that all parties involved in the dispute attend the session to reach a fair settlement.

### 4. small group

noun · CEFR B1

a small group of people doing something together, like travelling or working.

For teachers: a small group of people gathered for a specific task, mission, or excursion.

- A search party was sent out to find the hikers who got lost in the woods.
- The landing party secured the perimeter while the rest of the battalion prepared to disembark from the transport ships.

### 5. an individual

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Archaic

a person.

For teachers: a person or individual; often used with a descriptive adjective.

- He is a strange old party who lives in the house on the hill.
- The inspector described the suspect as a 'suspicious party' who had been loitering near the bank for several hours.

### 6. to celebrate

verb · CEFR A2 · Informal

to enjoy yourself at a party or social event.

For teachers: to attend or hold a party; to enjoy oneself boisterously.

- They stayed out late to party after the final exam was over.
- The students spent the entire weekend partying to mark the end of the academic year before heading home for the summer.

### 7. partisan

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

supporting one political group very strongly.

For teachers: relating to or supporting a specific political party; biased toward one faction.

- The newspaper was accused of following the party line too closely.
- The senator's party loyalty was tested when he was asked to vote against a bill that benefited his home state.

## Examples

- We are having a big party for my birthday next Saturday.
- The neighbors complained to the police because the music at the house party was too loud after midnight.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.