Girondists (Fr. Girondins), a French political party, which played a conspicuous part in the legislative assembly and the convention. They derived their name from the deputies of the department of Gironde, whom they acknowledged as their leaders. Vergniaud, Gensonne, Guadet, Brissot (from whom they were sometimes styled Brissotins), Condorcet, Ducos, Boyer-Fonfrede, Louvet, Petion, Ya-laze, Buzot, Barbaroux, Isnard, Lanjuinais, Carra, and Rabaut Saint-Etienne were the most prominent of their members. They enthusiastically promoted the proclamation of the republic (September, 1792), but strongly opposed the ultra-revolutionary party, called the Mon-tagnards; and although eloquence, talent, and virtue were mostly on their side, they succumbed to the violent assaults of their opponents after having been driven by the current to vote in part and reluctantly for the death of Louis XVI. The Montagnards charged them with plotting against the unity of the republic and aiming at a federal organization of the country. After a most stormy debate on May 31, 1793, 22 of them were arrested on June 2, incarcerated at the Conciergerie, and on Oct. 31 executed. Mme. Roland, their inspirer, and her husband followed them soon after (November), the former dying by the guillotine, the latter by his own hand.

The other Girondist leaders escaped from Paris, and, after vainly attempting to revolutionize several departments, were almost all either taken prisoners and beheaded, or committed suicide. - See Lamartine, Histoire des Girondins (8 vols., Paris, 1847).