GOP

noun

ˌjē-(ˌ)ō-ˈpē How to pronounce GOP (audio)
Phrases
the GOP
: the Republican Party of the U.S.
longtime members of the GOP
—often used before another noun
a GOP governor
attending the GOP convention

Note: GOP was originally an abbreviation of "Grand Old Party."

Examples of GOP in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Read More: Why Trump’s Talk of Recess Appointments Is Dangerous There have also been reports that GOP Senators could, at some point, seek to change the Senate rules in order to confirm more Trump nominees. — Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 3 Aug. 2025 Redistricting experts across the spectrum say the GOP representation could shrink to three or four members. — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of GOP was in 1882

Browse Nearby Words

goozle
GOP
gopak
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“GOP.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/GOP. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on GOP

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about GOP

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
retro style illustration of a tv with shapes and lightening bolts coming from the screen
Pop Culture Vocab Quiz “Embiggen,” “regift,” “friend zone” a...
See All