One of a political party which grew up in England in the seventeenth century, in the reigns of Charles I. and II., when great contests existed respecting the royal prerogatives and the rights of the people. Those who supported the king in his high claims were called Tories, and the advocates of popular rights, of parliamentary power over the crown, and of toleration to Dissenters, were, after 1679, called Whigs. The terms Liberal and Radical have now generally superseded Whig in English politics. See the note under Tory.

A friend and supporter of the American Revolution; -- opposed to Tory, and Royalist.

One of the political party in the United States from about 1829 to 1856, opposed in politics to the Democratic party.

Whig Hall, twin of and located next to Clio Hall, is home of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society, is the oldest college political, literary, and debating society in the United States. From

Abbreviation of 'whiggamore', a term applied in Britain to the Scots Covenanters and then to a developing political party of all those who opposed the future James II during the Exclusion Crisis of 1679. Their key values were civil and political liberty. Find out more

urged social reform in 19th century England

a member of the Whig Party in the United States in pre-Civil-War times