What does GOP stand for? In American politics, GOP stands for Grand Old Party, a nickname for the Republican Party, one of the two major political parties in the United States. Headlines use it because it is short, and party members use it for themselves as well.
The nickname is a label, not a separate group. "The GOP," "Republicans" and "the Republican Party" all refer to the same party. Outside politics the letters have a few smaller meanings, the best known being gross operating profit in the hotel business.
Quick facts
Stands for
Grand Old PartyRefers to
The Republican Party of the United StatesType
Initialism, said G O PSeen in
News headlines, campaign materials, congressional reportingParty founded
1854Other meaning
Gross operating profit (hotels and hospitality)
What does GOP stand for in politics?
The nickname maps onto the letters one word apiece:
| Letter | Word |
|---|---|
| G | Grand |
| O | Old |
| P | Party |
In political writing the letters almost always mean the Republican Party, at the national, state or local level. A report about "the state GOP" means the Republican Party organization in that state. A "GOP primary" is the election in which Republican voters choose their party's nominees.
Where the Grand Old Party name came from
The Republican Party was founded in 1854. The nickname "Grand Old Party" was in use in newspapers by the late 1800s, which is a little funny given that the party was not especially old at the time. The phrase was a term of pride used by supporters, and it stuck.
Around the same era, political cartoons helped make the elephant the party's symbol. The donkey became linked with the Democratic Party in the same period. Both animals are still used today, and the elephant often appears next to the letters GOP.
What does GOP stand for in Congress and government?
Reporters use the letters to describe groups of Republican lawmakers. "House GOP" and "Senate GOP" mean the Republican members of each chamber, and "GOP leaders" means the people those members chose to lead them. The letters are not an official title of any government office; they are shorthand for a party.
A headline: "GOP senators meet to discuss the spending bill." This means Republican members of the Senate are meeting. It says nothing about which side is right, only who is in the room.
For other short forms common in civics and federal news, see the government and military acronyms section, which includes SCOTUS for the Supreme Court.
GOP in text messages and online posts
In a text or a social post, GOP nearly always means the same thing as in the news: the Republican Party. People of all political views use it, and it is neutral on its own. The tone comes from the rest of the sentence, so read the full message for meaning. There is no separate texting slang meaning in wide use.
What does GOP stand for in business?
In hotel and hospitality accounting, GOP is gross operating profit, the money a property earns from operations before costs such as management fees, property taxes and loan payments. Managers compare it across hotels, and a related figure divides it by available rooms. When the letters appear in a hotel budget, a resort job posting or a hospitality class, this is the meaning.
| Setting | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Politics and news | Grand Old Party | "The GOP platform" |
| Hotels and hospitality | Gross operating profit | "GOP margin rose this quarter" |
How to say and write GOP
Say it letter by letter: "G O P." Because it is spoken as letters, it counts as an initialism, and nobody pronounces it to rhyme with "top." Keep all three letters capitalized, skip the periods, and usually put "the" in front: "the GOP." The article is "a," because the letter name G begins with a consonant: "a GOP candidate." Learn more about letter types in acronym vs abbreviation.
Questions people ask
What does the GOP stand for?
The Grand Old Party, a nickname for the Republican Party. The two names are used interchangeably in American news.
What is GOP stand for officially, and is it the party name?
No. The official name is the Republican Party. GOP is a long standing nickname that the party itself also uses.
Why is it called the Grand Old Party?
Supporters began using the phrase as a term of pride in the late 1800s, and it lasted. It does not describe any official rule or role.
What does GOP stand for in text?
Almost always the Republican Party, the same as in the news. Look at the rest of the message for context.
Do people pronounce the GOP acronym like a word?
No. Speakers name each letter, G O P, which makes it an initialism in strict terms. In everyday talk many still call it the gop acronym.