party

par|ty1 [ `parti ] noun count ***

1. ) a social event at which people meet to celebrate something or to have fun by eating and drinking, dancing, playing games, etc.:

Are you going to Sally's birthday party?

There's going to be a party to celebrate the completion of the project.

give/have/throw/host a party (for someone/something): We're having a big party for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

a farewell party (=when someone leaves a place): It's Jane's farewell party on Friday night.

a surprise party: It was his birthday and I'd planned a surprise party for him.

a ) party house AMERICAN INFORMAL a place where there are often noisy parties

2. ) an organized group of people who have similar ideas about the way in which a country should be governed, and who work together to try to persuade people to vote for them in elections:

the two main political parties

a lifelong member of the Republican party

a ) only before noun belonging to or connected with a political party:

party members/policy

the former party chairman

the party faithful (=the members who always support a party): measures that have angered the party faithful

3. ) a group of people who are going somewhere together, or who are all involved in the same activity:

a rescue party

party of: a party of tourists

4. ) FORMAL a person or group involved in something such as an agreement or disagreement, especially a contract or legal case, with another person or group:

party to: the parties to the 1930 agreement

an interested party: The planning team will announce details next week at a meeting for interested parties.

a ) the guilty/innocent party the person who is responsible or not responsible for something wrong or illegal that has been done

(a) party to something FORMAL

involved in a particular activity, especially something criminal or dishonest:

I felt certain she was a party to his deception.

party

par|ty 2 [ `parti ] verb intransitive INFORMAL

party or party down to have fun eating and drinking, dancing, etc. with other people:

We've been partying all weekend.