Phrase guide

third party

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

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  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Someone not directly involved in a transaction; an entity beyond the seller (first party) and customer (second party).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, commerce

Examples

  • A seller may employ a third party to perform specific services to augment the value of a product, such as packing and distribution.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Someone only incidentally or tangentially connected to an incident or dispute; someone other than the principals; a bystander or independent witness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person or party not directly involved with an arrangement, in contrast to active parties, characteristically the first party (producer) and second party (consumer).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: party, political party

6

noun

Meaning 6

someone other than the principals who are involved in a transaction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arbiter, arbitrator, umpire

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 第三方 (dì-sān fāng) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 第三者 (dì-sānzhě) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Czech: třetí strana — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Danish: tredjepart — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Dutch: derde — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Finnish: kolmas osapuoli — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Finnish: kolmas henkilö — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Finnish: kolmas — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Finnish: ulkopuolinen — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • French: tierce partie f) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Georgian: მესამე მხარე (mesame mxare) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Georgian: მესამე პირი (mesame ṗiri) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • German: Dritte — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Hindi: तृतीय पक्ष (tŕtīya pakṣ) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Hungarian: harmadik/kívülálló fél — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Italian: terzo — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Italian: terza parte — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Japanese: 第三者 (daisansha) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Korean: 제삼자 (jesamja) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Macedonian: трето лице — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Norwegian: tredjeperson — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tredjemann — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tredjepart — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tredjemann — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tredjepart — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Persian: شخص ثالث — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Polish: osoba trzecia — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Portuguese: terceiros — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Romanian: terț — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Russian: тре́тье лицо́ (trétʹje licó) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Sicilian: terzu — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Sicilian: terza parti — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Spanish: tercero — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Swedish: tredje part — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Swedish: tredje man — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Thai: บุคคลภายนอก (bùk-kon-paai-nɔ̂ɔk) — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Turkish: üçüncü kişi — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Turkish: üçüncü şahıs — someone not directly involved in a transaction
  • Finnish: kolmas puolue — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • French: troisième parti — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Georgian: მესამე პარტია (mesame ṗarṭia) — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Italian: terzo polo — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Japanese: 第三党 (daisantō) — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Macedonian: трета партија (treta partija) — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Polish: trzecia partia — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system
  • Romanian: terț partid — political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system