Bipartisanship

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪˌpɑː(ɹ)t.ɪ.zæn.ʃɪp/

Definitions

1. The cooperation and agreement between two major political parties on legislative matters can be referred to as a concept emphasizing unity and compromise for effective governance
2. A principle highlighting the collaborative efforts and mutual support between opposing political factions to achieve common goals reflects a commitment to shared objectives
3. It denotes the willingness of distinct political groups to set aside differences and work together in pursuit of policies beneficial to the public interest

Etymology: Bipartisanship is a plain compound: "bipartisan" plus the suffix "-ship." The first part, "bi-," comes from Latin "bi-," meaning "two," and the second, "partisan," is an English word for a committed supporter of a faction or side. Put together, "bipartisan" describes an arrangement between two sides, and "-ship" turns that adjective into a noun for the state or quality of being so. The suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "shape" or "creation," which in Old English became "-scipe," a word for a condition or office, as in "friendship" or "lordship." Over the Middle English period it softened to "-schipe" and eventually to the "-ship" we use today. So the ending that makes "bipartisanship" a noun carries the sense of "shaping" or "making," as much as the idea of a state.

Synonyms: cooperation, collaboration

Antonyms: partisanship