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
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.
For political scientists who spoke with The Star, the Republican messaging around democracy has been inconsistent in the lead up to the election. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026 While the Republicans leaned on a long-time political loyalty from law enforcement, Democrats pulled out on the stops in an effort to convince attendees to vote for the person, not the party. Rachel Royster july 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026 Laugh List scripts range in style, covering coming-of-age comedy, romantic comedy, historical comedy, political mockumentary, college comedy, dark comedy, and buddy comedy. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 July 2026 The fact that lawmakers from both parties are discussing restrictions on political involvement in digital assets is encouraging. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for political

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Political.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

political

adjective
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

More from Merriam-Webster on political

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster