party boss
4
6.5
- noun
- /ˈpɑrti bɔs/
- Literature
:
jefe de partido
- The party boss had the authority to decide who would be appointed to important government positions.
- local party boss
- regional party boss
- become a party boss
I've spent my career studying elections and democracy, and we're not looking for a return to, say, party bosses picking candidates.
- I've spent my career studying elections and democracy, and we're not looking for a return to, say, party bosses picking candidates.
- And that's how you make yourself party boss and say, this is who my staff is going to be, and they're all answerable to me.
- And because my dad had too much pride, too much human dignity, he will not put up with his Communist Party boss in his steak factory.
Examples
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Many candidates rely on the backing of a party boss to secure nominations and win support from voters.
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At the state level and below, the party bosses have effective carte blanche.
Blog text (29) -
We need to get rid of the corrupt party bosses.
Blog text (12) -
The party bosses hated him, as did the Wall Street people.
Blog text (17) -
His campaign called national GOP leaders "corrupt party bosses" in a recent email to supporters.
Blog text (33) -
Please, it would seem that the only ones overreacting are the party bosses who want to keep control.
Blog text (5) -
But only now, at last, had Karl Rove become the party boss.
Blog text (26) -
I do not always agree with the party bosses, but today I certainly concur with their assessment of this situation.
Blog text (20) -
And it makes me uncomfortable to think that the party bosses are going to dictate who runs as opposed to the election process.
Blog text (9) -
He was an outsider and a rogue element as far as the party bosses were concerned.
Blog text (31)
Synonyms
1
6.0
A powerful party leader who controls votes and gives government jobs
Antonyms
How Powerful
- Literature
14
7.0
- Literature
4
6.5
62
3.0
- Informal
21
9.1
- US
149
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derived from combining 'party' (a political group) and 'boss' (a leader), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a leader of a political party. Although 'party boss' may carry extra connotations of informal power or patronage, the core sense is compositionally predictable and cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
Party boss comes from the picture of a boss running a political party like a small business, giving jobs and favours to friends to win votes. That's why it means 'a powerful leader in a political party who controls votes and appointments'.