political

adjective

po·​lit·​i·​cal pə-ˈli-ti-kəl How to pronounce political (audio)
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
politically adverb

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 The crowd’s love for Patel only grew more fervent as the film went on, revealing not only a new cinematic voice, but a surprisingly political action thriller that saw Patel’s character take on the Hindu caste system with teeth, knives and blood. Selome Hailu, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 The former professional kickboxer has repeatedly alleged that Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and that the case is a political conspiracy designed to silence him. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Their foundation works to promote fertility planning, reproductive technology, resources for parents and political policies that incentivize having children. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 This inclination extends beyond the Oval Office; Congress, for instance, is having trouble passing bills that would provide military aid to Israel, which once would have been a political no-brainer. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 The writer and crossword constructor Anna Shechtman knows that casting such a pastime as political might sound ridiculous. Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 However, the majority of respondents do not support employer engagement in explicitly political activities, according to the report. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Chernov’s acceptance speech was one of the most moving of the evening, and one of the most openly political. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Chat with a satire columnist: Alexandra Petri offers a lighter take on news and political in(s)anity. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 14 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.

Word History

Etymology

politic or its source, Latin polīticus "of civil government, political" + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of political was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near political

Cite this Entry

“Political.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

political

adjective
po·​lit·​i·​cal pə-ˈlit-i-kəl How to pronounce political (audio)
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
politically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on political

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!