rainbow coalition

noun

A government consisting of a coalition of three or more parties, particularly parties with divergent ideologies.

Meanings

nounrainbow coalition (plural rainbow coalitions)

plural rainbow coalitions

  1. IrelandUKgovernmentA government consisting of a coalition of three or more parties, particularly parties with divergent ideologies.

Origin

Named after the colours associated with various parties: red for Labour, blue for the Conservatives, etc.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

rainbow coalition. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rainbow%20coalition

MLA

“rainbow coalition.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rainbow%20coalition. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rainbow coalition,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rainbow%20coalition.

Source: rainbow coalition on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.