whig
/wɪɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /wɪɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhwig ˈwig/ (ame, mw)
whig — noun
1. A person belonging to a former British political group that existed from the lat
A person belonging to a former British political group that existed from the late 1600s to the mid-1800s. The group worked to limit the monarchy's power and increase the role of Parliament. It later helped form the Liberal Party.
Lord Grey was a well-known Whig who helped pass the Reform Act of 1832.
capitalised: Whig as a title/political label
After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Whigs gained more influence in Parliament.
the + Whigs (plural referring to the party)
The historian traced how Whig ideas about parliamentary power developed over two centuries.
Many wealthy landowners in the 1700s identified themselves as Whigs.
By the 1860s most former Whigs had joined the newly formed Liberal Party.
- liberal
A modern political label; many Whig ideas later became part of Liberal Party policy, but "Whig" refers specifically to the historical party.
- reformer
Describes someone who pushes for change; Whigs were reformers on issues like parliamentary representation, but "reformer" is a much broader term.
- Tory
The opposing British political party of the same period. Tories generally supported royal authority and traditional institutions, while Whigs favoured limiting royal power.
- conservative
In modern terms, roughly opposite in political outlook; Whigs pushed for change, while conservatives prefer to keep existing structures.
文法句型
the + Whigs (plural with definite article referring to the party as a group)
a + Whig (singular referring to an individual member)
用法筆記
Often capitalized. The term is now mainly used in historical writing. The Whigs' main opponents, the Tories, later evolved into the Conservative Party, which still exists today.