mugwump
|mug-wump|
/ˈmʌɡwʌmp/
important yet aloof person
Etymology
'mugwump' originates from Algonquian, specifically forms like 'mugquomp' or 'mogquomp', where the element meant 'important person' or 'war leader'.
'mugwump' was borrowed into English from Algonquian languages; by the 19th century it was used in English slang and was famously applied (ironically) to dissident U.S. Republicans in 1884, after which it entered wider political and pejorative use.
Initially it meant 'important person' or 'chief'; over time it took on ironic and pejorative senses such as 'self-important person' or 'political independent' (especially the 1884 political sense).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who remains aloof or independent, especially from party politics; historically, a Republican who supported the Democratic candidate in the U.S. election of 1884.
Many newspapers called the dissident Republicans mugwumps during the 1884 campaign.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 01:41