First Known Use: 1702
Dictionary
Whig
noun \ˈhwig, ˈwig\
: a member or supporter of a British political group of the 18th and early 19th centuries that wanted to decrease royal power and to increase the power of the British Parliament
: an American who supported independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution
: a member or supporter of an American political party of the 19th century that was formed to oppose the Democrats
Full Definition of WHIG
1
: a member or supporter of a major British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries seeking to limit the royal authority and increase parliamentary power — compare tory
2
: an American favoring independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution
3
: a member or supporter of an American political party formed about 1834 in opposition to the Jacksonian Democrats, associated chiefly with manufacturing, commercial, and financial interests, and succeeded about 1854 by the Republican party
— Whig adjective
— Whig·gism \ˈhwi-ˌgi-zəm\ noun
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Origin of WHIG
short for Whiggamore, member of a Scottish group that marched to Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose the court party
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