big tent: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, journalistic, political discourse.
Quick answer
What does “big tent” mean?
A political party or movement that deliberately includes and accommodates a diverse range of opinions and people.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A political party or movement that deliberately includes and accommodates a diverse range of opinions and people.
Any organization, group, or philosophy that actively seeks to include a wide variety of members, constituents, or viewpoints under a broad, unifying set of principles or goals.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term originated in and is most frequently used in American politics. In British English, it's a recognized borrowing but less common; 'broad church' (originating from ecclesiastical contexts) is a more typical British equivalent in political discourse.
Connotations
In American usage, it often carries a pragmatic, strategic connotation of electoral necessity. In British usage via 'broad church', it can carry a slightly more ideological or principled tone of inclusivity.
Frequency
Much more frequent in American English (AE). In British English (BE), 'broad church' is the dominant equivalent, though 'big tent' is understood in political/journalistic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “big tent” in a Sentence
[Party/Leader] + adopted a big-tent + [strategy/politics]The + [adjective] + big tent of + [party/movement]to build/maintain a big tentVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “big tent” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The party's big-tent philosophy helped it attract centrist voters.
American English
- Their big-tent strategy was crucial for winning the swing states.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could be used metaphorically for a corporate strategy aiming to serve diverse customer segments.
Academic
Used in political science, sociology, and media studies to analyze party systems and social movements.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation. Used by politically engaged individuals discussing strategy.
Technical
A term of art in political journalism and political science analysis.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “big tent”
- Using it to describe a physically large tent (literal error).
- Confusing it with 'big top' (the main circus tent).
- Using it as an adjective without a hyphen (e.g., 'big tent party' should be 'big-tent party').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost never in modern usage. The phrase is a fixed political idiom. For a large physical tent, use 'large tent', 'marquee', or 'big top' (for a circus).
It depends on context. It can be a compliment praising pragmatism and inclusivity, or a criticism accusing a group of being ideologically vague or unprincipled.
Primarily a noun phrase (e.g., 'They built a big tent'). It is very commonly used attributively as a compound adjective, hyphenated as 'big-tent' (e.g., 'big-tent politics').
It originated in mid-20th century American politics, likely inspired by the imagery of the circus 'big top' tent that houses diverse acts, metaphorically applied to political coalitions.
A political party or movement that deliberately includes and accommodates a diverse range of opinions and people.
Big tent is usually formal, journalistic, political discourse. in register.
Big tent: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbɪɡ ˈtent/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbɪɡ ˈtent/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “under one big tent”
- “a big enough tent”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a huge circus tent. Inside, you find clowns, acrobats, and animal trainers—all different acts under one roof. A 'big tent' party tries to do the same with different voters and ideas.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL PARTY / ORGANIZATION IS A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE (A TENT) that can contain diverse elements.
Practice
Quiz
What is the closest British English equivalent to the American political term 'big tent'?