parti

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the central concept or organizing scheme of an architectural design, often expressed in a simple diagram

   The architect's parti placed a public courtyard at the centre of the building.

2. 2
   noun

   a person, especially a man, regarded as a desirable marriage partner because of wealth or social position; dated

   Her aunt considered the young doctor an excellent parti because he was wealthy and well connected.

Borrowed from French parti, "decision, course adopted, or choice." In Beaux-Arts architecture, a parti was the governing decision behind a design. The dated marriage sense likewise presents a prospective spouse as a socially advantageous choice or match.

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