[‘ A preconceived view; a bias or prejudice.']
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌpɑːtɪ ˈpriː/, U.S. /ˌpɑrdi ˈpri/
Etymology: < French /parti pris/ (also de parti pris) prejudice (1810 or earlier; 1734 or earlier in sense ‘decision, adopted position’) < /parti/ decision (late 15th cent. in this sense: see party n.) + pris taken, past participle of prendre (see prender n.).
*A.* n.
A preconceived view; a bias or prejudice.
[1857 /Edinb. Rev./ July 222 We are far from asserting that this was always done in cold blood and de parti pris.]
1860 /Once a Week/ 18 Aug. 215/1 Those who may consider this statement an exaggeration can easily satisfy themselves (provided they go without any parti pris, either on one side or the other).
1871 J. Morley /Carlyle/ in /Crit. Misc./ (1878) 189 That fatal spirit of parti-pris which has led to the rooting of so much injustice, disorder, immobility and darkness in English intelligence.
1922 G. C. Cox /Public Conscience/ 51, I have not been conscious of any parti pris in this study.
1958 L. Durrell /Mountolive/ v. 103 Personally I think we both have made a mess of it, and I have no parti-pris in the matter.
1977 /N.Y. Rev. Bks./ 9 June 21/2 The ideological parti-pris of these last two sources does not invalidate their generally rigorous and sound historical documentation.
2003 /Weekly Standard/ (Nexis) 17 Feb., Any reader without a parti pris would see the play that emerged after O’Malley’s fifth draft as one slanted to the Palestinian side.
*B.* adj.
Biased, prejudiced; favouring one particular side, faction, or party.
1923 H. Crane /Let./ 18 Feb. (1965) 125 In his letter his partis pris emotionalism was too evident to convince his readers properly.
1973 /Times Lit. Suppl./ 15 June 660/5 With none of the characters in Lawrence’s life is he parti-pris.
2000 /N.Y. Rev. Bks./ 30 Nov. 22/3 A growing conservative historiography that seems to proceed from the belief that for too long parti pris liberals have shaped our understanding of the recent past.