bandwagon

English

Band on a bandwagon

Alternative forms

• bandwaggon

Etymology

From band +‎ wagon.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, General Australian, without æ-raising) IPA^(key): /ˈbændˌwæɡ.ən/
  • (æ-raising) IPA^(key): [ˈbeə̯ndˌwæɡ.ən], [ˈbɛə̯ndˌwæɡ.ən]

  • Audio (US); [ˈbɛə̯ndˌwæɡ.ən]:

    (file)

• (Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbeə̯ndˌweɪ̯ɡ.ən/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛndˌwɛɡ.ən/
• Hyphenation: band‧wag‧on

Noun

bandwagon (plural bandwagons)

1. A large wagon used to carry a band of musicians in a parade. [from 1836]
3. (figuratively) A current movement that attracts wide support. [from 1880]
   • 2025 February 19, Christian Wolmar, “Reeves talks of 'growth' but pays lip service to the railway”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 35:

     Specifically, and unforgivably, she restarted the Heathrow Third Runway bandwagon, which had been stalled for more than a decade and even declared dead by most commentators.

Derived terms

• bandwagon effect
• bandwagoner
• bandwagon fallacy
• bandwagon fan
• bandwagoning
• bandwagonism
• bandwagon jumper, bandwagon-jumper
• brandwagon
• climb on the bandwagon
• jump on the bandwagon

Translations

large wagon to carry a band

• Finnish: paraativaunu
• German: Musikantenwagen m
• Polish: platforma (pl)
• Portuguese: trio elétrico m
• Turkish: bando arabası

(figuratively) current movement that attracts wide support

• Finnish: kelkka (fi), villitys (fi)
• German: erfolgreiche Partei (de) f, erfolgreiche Seite (de) f
• Spanish: tren del mame m
• Turkish: çoğunluk partisi (tr), grup vagon

Verb

bandwagon (third-person singular simple present bandwagons, present participle bandwagoning or (rare) bandwagonning, simple past and past participle bandwagoned or (rare) bandwagonned)

1. (figuratively) To join a bandwagon (a current movement that attracts wide support). [from 1915]

   Synonym: jump on the bandwagon

   • 1915 June 17, Rockville Tribune, “Roger Sullivan”, in The Indianapolis News, volume XLVI, number 166 (14,218 overall), Indianapolis, Ind., →OCLC, page 16, column 5:

     Again, only three years ago, he opposed every measure advocated by Woodrow Wilson—did all he could to prevent his nomination—and bandwagoned when the nomination could no longer be prevented.

   • 1937 April 25, “Old Ironpants [i.e., Charles Martin] and Walter [Marcus Pierce]”, in Alton F. Baker, editor, Eugene Register-Guard, volume 92, number 115, Eugene, Ore.: Alton F. Baker, →OCLC, page 6 (Editorial Page), column 1:

     “Weeping Walter” is a notorious example of the theory that “trimming” pays in politix. He has blown with every wind; he has bandwagoned with every passing movement from the Ku Klux Klan to the Townsend plan; […]

   • 1952 August 3, James Whiteshield, “The Middle Is Somewhat Independent”, in The Miami Herald, 42nd year, number 244, Miami, Fla., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3-F, column 4:

     The sell-out bandwagonned and, as Sam [Rayburn] continued to stall, a positive vote against seating the Virginia delegation turned into a positive vote for seating them.

   • 2020 June 14, Alaa Elassar, quoting Jennifer Tucker, “A Kentucky tattoo shop is offering to cover up hate and gang symbols for free”, in CNN‎^[1], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 5 December 2022:

     Everyone in my school flew rebel flags and had rebel flag tattoos and I bandwagoned and got the tattoo.

Translations

to join a bandwagon — see jump on the bandwagon

See also

• hype train