Etymologically
Log in

mugwump

Etymology and origin of the English word mugwump

History Permalink

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈmʌɡwʌmp/ (UK); /ˈmʌɡˌwʌmp/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It comes from Massachusett (Natick) mugquomp “important person”,[2][3][4][5] from muggumquomp “war leader”.[6][3][4][5] The Natick form mugquomp “great man” is recorded in 1633.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A jocular term for a great man or boss (1832, American English).[7][2][3]

Semantic evolution

By 1840 the word was used satirically for someone who thinks himself important.[3] In 1884 it was revived for the Republicans who refused to support the party's presidential candidate, James G. Blaine;[6][2][3][4][5] it began as abuse, but the independents adopted it.[3] So it came to mean a person who stays aloof from party politics,[3][7] or anyone neutral or undecided.[6][4][5]

Timeline

  • 1832 – a great man, a boss.[7][2][3]
  • 1840 – a self-important person.[3]
  • 1884 – a Republican who bolted the party.[7][4][6]
  • 1885 – verb, to act as a mugwump.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who acts independently or stays neutral, especially in politics.
  2. (US history) A Republican who refused to support James G. Blaine in 1884.
  3. A leader or important person.

Word family

  • mugwumpery
  • mugwumpish

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Mugwump.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/mugwump. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·