What does nonpartisanship mean?
Nonpartisanship means being impartial, politically neutral, and free from allegiance to a party or faction. The word is especially associated with government, law, journalism, elections, and public institutions, where decisions or coverage are expected to serve the public rather than one political side. It carries a positive connotation of fairness, independence, and freedom from bias, although an organization can be criticized for appearing neutral in ways that conceal its own assumptions or interests. The related adjective nonpartisan is considerably more common, while the noun is useful when the emphasis is on a state, principle, or standard of conduct. The term can describe an individual, such as a judge or public official, but it is also used for institutions, procedures, and policies. In general British and American English, it is formal rather than conversational and conveys a stronger political emphasis than neutral alone.
nounThe state or quality of being impartial and not aligned with a political party or faction. It refers especially to avoiding partisan bias, allegiance, or favouritism in public affairs and decision-making.
- The quality or state of being impartial, politically neutral, and free from partisan allegiance or bias.
"The commission maintained a reputation for nonpartisanship despite pressure from both political parties."
"The judge was praised for his impartiality and nonpartisanship throughout the proceedings."
"As a nonpartisan civic organization, the association seeks practical solutions rather than partisan advantage."
The plural is grammatically regular but uncommon in practice.
"The histories compare the nonpartisanships of several postwar governments."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonpartisanship come from?
Nonpartisanship is an English compound formed from the prefix non-, the word partisan, and the suffix -ship. Non- comes from Latin and expresses negation, while -ship is an English suffix forming nouns that denote a state, quality, or condition. Partisan entered English through French and Italian usage associated with taking sides; its deeper roots connect with the idea of division or parties.
How nonpartisanship is actually used
A formal and relatively uncommon noun, especially associated with politics, government, law, journalism, and public institutions. Nonpartisan is much more common as an adjective.
Easily confused with nonpartisanship
Nonpartisanship is a noun naming the quality of being impartial, whereas nonpartisan is primarily an adjective describing a person, organization, position, or view.