Meanings
plural purple states
- USgovernmentA swing state.
1 more example
“I have loved this purple state that I’ve grown up in,” said Mallerie Stromswold, a former Republican lawmaker who left the Legislature earlier this year after she clashed with party leaders over a series of proposed transgender bills and closed-door meetings, she said, devolved into yelling and name-calling.
2023 April 27, Jim Robbins, Mike Baker, Jacey Fortin, quoting Mallerie Stromswold, “A Transgender Lawmaker Is Exiled as Montana G.O.P. Flexes New Power”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Compound of purple + state, modeled on blue state and red state. From purple being a blend of blue and red colors, where the color representing the Democratic Party of the United States is blue and that representing the Republican Party of the United States is red.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish niezdecydowany stan
- niezdecydowany stanswing state
Vietnamese tiểu bang tím, bang tím
- tiểu bang tímswing state
- bang tímswing state
Cite this entry
purple state. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purple%20state
“purple state.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purple%20state. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “purple state,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/purple%20state.
Source: purple state on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.