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Origin and history of partisan

partisan(n.)

also partizan, 1550s, "one who takes part with another, zealous supporter," especially one whose judgment is clouded by prejudiced adherence to a party, from French partisan (15c.), from dialectal upper Italian partezan (Tuscan partigiano) "member of a faction, partner," from parte "part, party," from Latin partem (nominative pars) "a part, piece, a share, a division; a party or faction; a part of the body; a fraction; a function, office" (from PIE root *pere- (2) "to grant, allot").

In military use, "member of a detachment of troops sent on a special mission," from 1690s. As these commonly were irregular troops, it took on the sense of "guerrilla fighter" in the Peninsular campaign of the Napoleonic wars and again in reference to resistance to Nazi occupation in the Balkans and Eastern Europe in World War II.

partisan(adj.)

1708 in a military sense, "engaged on a special enterprise;" 1842 in politics, "of or pertaining to a party or faction;" from partisan (n.).

also from 1708

Entries linking to partisan

bipartisan(adj.)

also bi-partisan, "representing or composed of members of two political parties," 1894; see bi- + partisan (adj.) "pertaining to a (political) party."

non-partisan(adj.)

also nonpartisan, "not based on, belonging to, or loyal to any particular political faction or party," 1872, American English, from non- + partisan (adj.) "pertaining to a (political) party."

FIRST POLITICIAN: Who's backing this non-partisan candidate?
SECOND POLITICIAN: The non-partisan party.
[Life magazine, Sept. 29, 1927]

As a noun, "a non-partisan person," from 1888.

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partizan
also partisan, "long-handled cutting weapon used in England 14c.-16c.," 1550s, from Italian partesana, partigiana, a word of uncertain origin. The Old French form of the word, pertuisane, as if from pertuiser "make full of holes," suggests an ultimate source in Latin pertusus "bo
zealot
early 14c., "member of a militant 1st century Jewish sect which fiercely resisted the Romans in Palestine," from Late Latin zelotes, from Greek zēlōtēs "one who is a zealous follower," from zēloōn "to be zealous," from zēlos "zeal" (see zeal). Extended sense of "a fanatical enthu
effort
[José Ortega y Gasset, writing of Goethe in Partisan Review, vol. xvi, part ii, 1949] Related: Efforts "voluntary exertion...
stalwart
writing from 1877 through 1880s in reference to various factions (mostly of the Republican Party) considered uncompromisingly partisan...
probe
quite as much as a probe—in fact, for the proper use of the probe—is a postmaster-general in the place of Payne, the mere partisan...
catch-phrase
Senate debate on the Sub-Treasury Bill, Sept. 22, 1837] In political or partisan squibs, the introduction of such phrases...
advocate
mid-14c., "one whose profession is to plead cases in a court of justice," a technical term from Roman law, from Old French avocat "barrister, advocate, spokesman," from Latin advocatus "one called to aid (another); a pleader (on one's behalf), advocate," noun use of past particip
exponent
1706, from Latin exponentem (nominative exponens), present participle of exponere "put forth" (see expound). Earliest use is the mathematical one (said to have been introduced in algebra by Descartes) for the symbol placed above and to the right of another to indicate by what pow
champion
early 13c., "doughty fighting man, valorous combatant," also (c. 1300) "one who fights on behalf of another or others, one who undertakes to defend a cause," from Old French champion "combatant, champion in single combat" (12c.), from Late Latin campionem (nominative campio) "gla

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