• (British) IPA: /ˈpɑː.ti/
• (America, Canada) IPA: /ˈpɑɹ.ti/, [ˈpʰɑɹɾi]
• (AU) IPA: /ˈpɑ(ː)ɾi/, [ˈpʰɑ(ː)ɾi]

party (plural parties)

1. (legal) A person or group of people constituting a particular side in a contract or legal action.

   The contract requires that the party of the first part pay the fee.

   • If the jury found that the party slain was of English race, it had been adjudged felony.

2. A person.
   1. (slang, dated) A person; an individual.

      He is a queer party.

   2. With to: an accessory, someone who takes part.

      I can't possibly be a party to that kind of reckless behaviour.

3. (now, rare in general sense) A group of people forming one side in a given dispute, contest etc.
   • 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Ch.6:

     A mile back in the forest the tribe had heard the fierce challenge of the gorilla, and, as was his custom when any danger threatened, Kerchak called his people together, partly for mutual protection against a common enemy, since this gorilla might be but one of a party of several, and also to see that all members of the tribe were accounted for.

   1. (RPG, online gaming) Active player characters organized into a single group.
   2. (video games) A group of characters controlled by the player.
4. A political group considered as a formal whole, united under one specific political platform of issues and campaigning to take part in government.

   The green party took 12% of the vote.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314 ↗, page 0124 ↗:

     "A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. […] A strong man—a strong one; and a heedless." ¶ "Of what party is he?" she inquired, as though casually.

     The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.

5. (military) A discrete detachment of troops, especially for a particular purpose.

   The settlers were attacked early next morning by a scouting party.

6. A social gathering.
   1. A gathering of usually invited guests for entertainment, fun and socializing.

      I'm throwing a huge party for my 21st birthday.

   2. A group of people traveling or attending an event together, or participating in the same activity.

      We're expecting a large party from the London office.

      Do you have a table available for a party of four?

   3. A gathering of acquaintances so that one of them may offer items for sale to the rest of them.

      Tupperware party

      lingerie party

7. (obsolete) A part or division.
   • a. 1472, Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xv”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book II, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786 ↗; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: Published by David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034 ↗:

     And so the moost party of the castel that was falle doune thorugh that dolorous stroke laye vpon Pellam and balyn thre dayes.

• (social gathering) bash, do, rave
• See also Thesaurus:party

• French: partie
• German: Partei
• Italian: parte
• Portuguese: parte
• Russian: сторона́
• Spanish: parte contratante

• French: participant
• German: Partizipant, Teilnehmer, Teilnehmerin
• Italian: partecipante
• Portuguese: participante
• Russian: уча́стник

• French: faction
• German: Partei
• Portuguese: partido
• Spanish: partido

• French: détachement

• French: (slang, France) teuf, fête

  Canada: party

  French: fête

• German: Feier, Fest, Fete, Party
• Italian: festa, party
• Portuguese: festa, balada
• Russian: вечери́нка
• Spanish: fiesta, reventón, pachanga, carrete, guateque, sarao

• German: Partie

• German: Party

• German: Party

party (parties, present participle partying; past and past participle partied)

1. (intransitive) To celebrate at a party, to have fun, to enjoy oneself.

   We partied until the early hours.

2. (intransitive, slang, euphemistic) To take recreational drugs.
3. (intransitive) To engage in flings, to have one-night stands, to sow one's wild oats.
4. (online gaming, intransitive) To form a party (with).

   If you want to beat that monster, you should party with a healer.

• French: fêter, veiller (Canada)
• Italian: festeggiare
• Portuguese: festejar, festar
• Spanish: divertirse, fiestar

party (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, except in compounds) Divided; in part.
2. (heraldry) Parted or divided, as in the direction or form of one of the ordinaries.

   an escutcheon party per pale