third party

/ˌˈθʌr(d) ˌpɑrdi/

/θəd ˈpɑti/

Other forms: third parties

In the U.S., belonging to a third party means you're not a Democrat or Republican. Since the 19th century, no candidate from a third party has won a presidential election.

The United States has essentially been a two-party system ever since the republic was founded. Today those two political groups are the Democratic and Republican parties, with all others known as third parties or "minor parties." Third parties, like the Green Party or Libertarian Party, are often successful in local and state elections, and third-party candidates have occasionally won spots in the Senate and Congress.

Definitions of third party

1. noun

   someone other than the principals who are involved in a transaction
   type of:

   arbiter, arbitrator, umpire

   someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue
2. noun

   a political party organized in opposition to the major parties in a two-party system
   type of:

   party, political party

   an organization to gain political power