multi-party

multi-party — adjective

1. describes a system, agreement, election, or discussion that involves more than t

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a system, agreement, election, or discussion that involves more than two groups, organizations, or political parties.

Example

Kenya held its first multi-party elections in 1992 after decades of single-party rule.

collocation: multi-party elections

Darius reviewed the multi-party contract before the six companies signed it.

collocation: multi-party contract

Common collocations
  • multi-party system
  • multi-party elections
  • multi-party democracy
  • multi-party talks
  • multi-party agreement
  • multi-party coalition
  • multi-party negotiations
Synonyms
  • multilateral

    more formal; used mainly in diplomacy and international relations

  • many-sided

    less formal but also less precise; can suggest complexity rather than distinct parties

  • pluralistic

    refers to a society or system that allows diverse groups to coexist, not just to a specific agreement or event

Antonyms
  • single-party

    involving only one political party or group

  • bilateral

    involving exactly two parties, especially in diplomacy or law

Grammar Patterns

multi-party + noun

Usage Note

Almost always placed directly before a noun (attributive position). The hyphen is required in standard written English; writing it as two separate words ('multi party') or as one unhyphenated word ('multiparty') is sometimes seen but less accepted in formal usage.

Common Mistakes

The country adopted a multi party system.
The country adopted a multi-party system.
the hyphen is required when the compound adjective sits before the noun.
The two companies signed a multi-party deal.
The three companies signed a multi-party deal.
'multi-party' means more than two parties are involved; for exactly two parties, use 'bilateral' or 'two-party'.

Word family

  • multiparty
    adjectiveB2
  • multipartism
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Multi-party is the most neutral and widely used of these terms, applying naturally to politics, law, and business. Multilateral is more formal and almost always used in international diplomacy (multilateral treaty, multilateral talks between nations). Many-sided is less common and carries a slightly literary feel — it often describes problems or debates rather than formal structures. Pluralistic belongs to political philosophy and sociology: a pluralistic society is one where many different groups coexist and compete, making it broader and more abstract than multi-party, which simply counts the number of participating sides in a specific process or system. If you are describing a country's political structure, multi-party system and pluralistic society refer to different things — the first is about elections and parties, the second about diversity of beliefs and identities.

multilateral ↗many-sidedpluralistic

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • multi-party system of government

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix multi- (from Latin multus, meaning 'many') and party (from Old French partie, meaning 'a part, side, or faction'). The compound emerged in English during the mid-20th century, initially in political writing to describe electoral systems that allowed more than two parties to compete. Over time, its use broadened into legal and business contexts, where it now describes any arrangement involving more than two participating sides.

First known use

1909

1909, in the meaning defined above