politics

noun

pol·​i·​tics ˈpä-lə-ˌtiks How to pronounce politics (audio)
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
a
: the art or science of government
b
: the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy
c
: the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government
2
: political actions, practices, or policies
3
a
: political affairs or business
especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government)
b
: political life especially as a principal activity or profession
c
: political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices
4
: the political opinions or sympathies of a person
5
a
: the total complex of relations between people living in society
b
: relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view
office politics
ethnic politics

Did you know?

Playing Politics

Politics is a multifaceted word. It has a set of fairly specific meanings that are descriptive and nonjudgmental (such as “the art or science of government” and "political principles"), but it can and often does carry a negative meaning closely related to these (“political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices”). English is a flexible language, and it is not uncommon for a word to have multiple related meanings that run the connotative gamut from good to bad. Some of these have been around for a surprisingly long time. The negative sense of politics, as seen in the phrase play politics, for example, has been in use since at least 1853, when abolitionist Wendell Phillips declared: “We do not play politics; anti-slavery is no half-jest with us.”

Examples of politics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our data is optimistic, but the politics is uncertain. —James Morton Turner, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2024 Where do political prognosticators land on Lake vs. Gallego? Real Clear Politics, a politics website, gives Gallego a 3.9 percentage point advantage in its final average of polls at the end of the race. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024 Them’s news and politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Thursday. —Abby Monteil, Them, 5 Nov. 2024 By Philip Elliott November 5, 2024 7:51 AM EST This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for politics 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Polletiques, Polytykys, as title of Aristotle's Politics, from politik "of spiritual or secular governance, political" + -iques, -ykys -ics, after Middle French politiques, polliticques and Medieval Latin polītica, after Greek tà politiká "public matters, civic affairs," from neuter plural of politikós "of citizens, civic, of a state, political, public" — more at politic

First Known Use

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of politics was circa 1529

Phrases Containing politics

Dictionary Entries Near politics

politico

politics

Politique

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

politics

singular or plural noun
pol·​i·​tics ˈpäl-ə-ˌtiks How to pronounce politics (audio)
1
a
: political science
b
: the art of guiding or influencing governmental policy
c
: the art of winning and holding control over a government
2
: political affairs or business
especially : competition between groups or individuals for power and leadership
3
: political opinions

More from Merriam-Webster on politics

Nglish: Translation of politics for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of politics for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about politics

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