English

Noun

third party ‎(countable and uncountable, plural third parties)

1. someone not directly involved in a transaction. A third entity in the Seller (first party) and Customer (second party) relationship. A Seller may employ a third party to perform specific services to augment the value of a product. For example, a manufacturer may employ a third party to pack and distribute a product. A computer manufacturer may augment their product with software from a third-party supplier.
2. someone only incidentally or tangentially connected to an incident or dispute; someone other than the principals; a bystander or independent witness.
3. a political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
   • 2004, James Walsh, Liberty in Troubled Times, p 195

     […] the Libertarian Party (in its own shorthand, the LP) is usually the largest third party […]

Translations

Derived terms

• third-party (adjective)

See also

• two-party system
• three-party system
• third-party