party
gb/pˈɑɹti/ us/pˈɑɹti/
A2
English
~ 200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
A social event with people
A time when people meet to have fun, eat, drink, and enjoy music together.
Usage pattern:
to have [a party]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'party' with 'celebration' in contexts where it refers specifically to a gathering rather than any kind of special occasion.
Synonyms
celebration (More general; can include non-social or formal events.)
|
gathering (Less festive; may simply mean people meeting.)
Antonyms
funeral (A solemn event often marking death, opposite in mood to a party.)
Collocations
throw a party
|birthday party
|surprise party
|dinner party
|office party
Themes
daily life
|leisure
|social
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- We threw a big party for her graduation.
- The neighbors complained about the noise from the party.
- He's planning a surprise party for his wife.
- We met at a friend's birthday party.
- The office is hosting a holiday party next week.
Learner examples
- I went to a big party last night.
- She had a birthday party at home.
- We will have a party on Friday.
- They are making food for the party.
- He invited all his friends to the party.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Political organization or faction
A group of people who share the same political ideas and work together in politics.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'party' with 'celebration', especially in political news contexts.
Synonyms
faction (Usually refers to a smaller, possibly dissenting group within a larger political body.)
Antonyms
independent (A politician or voter not belonging to any political party.)
Collocations
political party
|ruling party
|opposition party
|party leader
Themes
politics
|government
Examples
- The Democratic Party won the election.
- She is a member of the ruling party.
- The opposition party criticized the new law.
- Party leaders met to discuss their campaign strategy.
- He left the party over policy disagreements.
Learner examples
- She joined a political party last year.
- The party wants to change the law.
- That party is very popular in this country.
- He left his party after the election.
- The party lost many seats in the vote.
Noun
B2
relation
3
Person or group in an arrangement
A person or group involved in an agreement or argument, especially in law.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this legal sense with social gatherings due to shared wording.
Synonyms
participant (General term; not necessarily legal context.)
Antonyms
bystander (Someone present but not involved in the matter.)
Collocations
third party
|contracting party
|interested party
Themes
law
|business
Examples
- Each party must sign the contract.
- Both parties agreed to settle the dispute.
- The third party will act as a mediator.
- The injured party received compensation.
- No party is allowed to share confidential information.
Learner examples
- Both parties signed the agreement.
- One party broke the contract.
- A third party will help solve the problem.
- Each party must follow the rules.
- The parties met to talk about the deal.
Verb
informal
B1
action
4
To celebrate at a social event
To have fun with other people at an event with music, food, and drinks.
Usage pattern:
to party [all night/at a place]
Common mistake:
Learners might think 'party' as a verb always means 'celebrate something specific', when it can also mean just enjoying oneself socially without a special reason.
Synonyms
celebrate (More general; can refer to formal or quiet events as well.)
Antonyms
mourn (To feel or express grief, especially after death; opposite in mood.)
Collocations
party hard
|party all night
Themes
daily life
|leisure
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- We partied until dawn at the beach.
- They love to party on weekends.
- She partied hard after finishing her exams.
- He partied with friends at the club last night.
Learner examples
- They like to party on Saturday night.
- We will party after the wedding.
- She partied with her friends yesterday.
- He wants to party all night.
Grammar
Dictionary form
party
IPA
GB/pˈɑɹti/
US/pˈɑɹti/
Syllables & stress
party (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (party)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: party
- Plural: parties, party
Verb
- Base: party
- 3rd Person Singular: parties
- Present Participle: partying
- Past: partied
Word family
Forms
parties
noun
partying
verb
partied
verb
Core family
partygoer
noun
Related words
partier
noun
partisan
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
nonpartisan
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
Expressions
after-party
1/ˈæftɚ pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
informal
Social event after main event ends
A smaller social event that happens after another bigger event has finished.
Examples
- We went to an after-party following the awards ceremony.
- The band hosted an after-party for their fans.
life of the party
1/lˈaɪf əv ðə pˈɑɹti/
idiom
informal
Most entertaining person at event
The person who makes a social event fun because they are lively and talkative.
Examples
- Everyone loves inviting her because she’s always the life of the party.
- He was the life of the party, telling jokes and dancing all night.
party line
1/pˈɑɹti lˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
Official policy of political group
The official ideas or plan of action of a political group that its members are expected to follow.
Examples
- He refused to stick to the party line on climate policy.
- Members are expected to support the party line during debates.
third party
1/θˈɚd pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
Outside person/group in matter
A person or group that is not one of the main people involved but is connected in some way.
Examples
- We asked a third party to review the contract.
- The software can be used with third-party apps.
party animal
1/pˈɑɹti ˈænəməl/
idiom
informal
Person who loves parties often
Someone who likes going to parties very much and often goes to them.
Examples
- My roommate is such a party animal—she’s out every weekend.
- Jake is such a party animal—he's out every night.
- He used to be a real party animal in college.
- In college, she was known as a real party animal.