political
adjective
po·lit·i·cal
pə-ˈli-ti-kəl 
1
a
: of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government
b
: of, relating to, or concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of governmental policy
2
: of, relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics
3
: organized in governmental terms
political units
4
: involving or charged or concerned with acts against a government or a political system
political prisoners
Examples of political in a Sentence
The senator has changed political parties.
Health care has become a major political issue in recent years.
a group of political activists
We need a political solution rather than a military solution.
Recent Examples on the Web
Redmon’s effort to repatriate it turns this historical documentary into a political thriller and an astounding hands-on heist film.
—
The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
There’s no guardrail between the personal and the political here.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
The top two vote-getters in each race, except the presidential primary, will advance to the fall runoff regardless of political party.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Westminster has been abuzz all week with reports that at least a dozen men in British political circles had in the past year received flirtatious messages from an unknown WhatsApp user.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The success of the eclipse expedition, a collaboration between an American scholarly organization, a university and a government body, would showcase the strength of the nation’s civil and political institutions and its readiness for independence.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
But as long as Aramco is pumping oil, the financial and political clout that drives Saudi Arabia’s outsize ideas will be replenished far into the future.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Teachers believe the political climate -- like challenges to school curricula -- is a major factor, as well as the impact of the pandemic.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The $4-million investment in the ad, which was derided by some of Kennedy’s relatives, amounted to a political coming out for Nicole Shanahan, a tech attorney, entrepreneur and wealthy philanthropist.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024
There’s no guardrail between the personal and the political here.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
The top two vote-getters in each race, except the presidential primary, will advance to the fall runoff regardless of political party.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024
Westminster has been abuzz all week with reports that at least a dozen men in British political circles had in the past year received flirtatious messages from an unknown WhatsApp user.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
The success of the eclipse expedition, a collaboration between an American scholarly organization, a university and a government body, would showcase the strength of the nation’s civil and political institutions and its readiness for independence.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
But as long as Aramco is pumping oil, the financial and political clout that drives Saudi Arabia’s outsize ideas will be replenished far into the future.
—Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Teachers believe the political climate -- like challenges to school curricula -- is a major factor, as well as the impact of the pandemic.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The $4-million investment in the ad, which was derided by some of Kennedy’s relatives, amounted to a political coming out for Nicole Shanahan, a tech attorney, entrepreneur and wealthy philanthropist.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'political.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near political
Cite this Entry
“Political.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
political
adjective
po·lit·i·cal
pə-ˈlit-i-kəl
1
: of or relating to a government or the conduct of government
2
: of or relating to politics
3
: organized in governmental terms
political units
4
: involving, concerned with, or accused of acts against a government or political system
political prisoners
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