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Parteigenosse

party comrade

Definition & meaning

The word Parteigenosse refers to a fellow member of a political party. It is a compound noun used to describe the relationship between individuals who belong to the same political organization.

While the term is fundamentally neutral, it carries significant historical weight in Germany:

  1. General sense: It describes a comrade or associate within a party.
  2. Historical context (National Socialism): During the Third Reich, members of the NSDAP (Nazi Party) were officially referred to as Parteigenossen, often abbreviated as "Pg". In this context, it specifically denoted someone who held a membership card of the Nazi party.
  3. Socialist/Communist context: In the former GDR (East Germany) and within left-wing parties like the SPD, the word Genosse (comrade) or Parteigenosse was commonly used to emphasize solidarity and shared ideological goals.

In modern German politics, the word is used less frequently than in the past, with many people preferring the term Parteifreund (party friend), although "Genosse" remains standard in Social Democratic circles.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a masculine noun. It follows the weak declension (n-declension), meaning it adds an "-n" in all cases except the nominative singular (e.g., "des Parteigenossen"). The feminine form is die Parteigenossin.

It consists of two parts:

  1. Partei: Derived from the Latin "pars" (part/share), referring to a political party.
  2. Genosse: Derived from the Old High German "ginōzo," which described someone who shared a "Genuss" (enjoyment/use of common property) with others. Historically, it meant a companion or someone who shares the same fate or social standing.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • Parteimitglied: A neutral term for a party member.
  • Parteifreund: Often used in center-right parties (like the CDU) to refer to a colleague within the same party.
  • Genosse: The shortened form, traditionally used by socialist or communist party members.
  • Mitstreiter: A fellow campaigner or brother-in-arms.

Antonyms

  • Parteigegner: A political opponent from a different party.
  • Nichtmitglied: Someone who is not a member of the organization.
  • Politischer Gegner: A general term for a political rival.

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Examples

Er ist ein treuer Parteigenosse.noun

He is a loyal party comrade.

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