political

adjective

po·lit·i·cal pə-ˈli-ti-kəl

: of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government

: of, relating to, or concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of governmental policy

: of, relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics

: organized in governmental terms

political units

: involving or charged or concerned with acts against a government or a political system

political prisoners

politically

pə-ˈli-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Example Sentences

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 Beethoven, whose music celebrated the progressive political and social ideals of the Age of Enlightenment (1685-1815), is a prominent example. —

Robert Knox, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Jan. 2023 France’s leading trade unions carry political and social muscle far beyond anything wielded by their American counterparts. —

David A. Andelman, CNN, 11 Jan. 2023 Economic deprivation and a lack of workplace protections led to widespread political and social activism and sweeping efforts to organize workers in response. —

Marick Masters, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2023 Economic deprivation and a lack of workplace protections led to widespread political and social activism and sweeping efforts to organize workers in response. —

Marick Masters, The Conversation, 5 Jan. 2023 Cardi is no stranger to giving her opinions on economic, social and political issues online. —

Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 4 Jan. 2023 Bernstein believed that the political and the social were inseparable. —

Jordi Graupera, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2023 There’s a darker layer, too — instances in which reviews have been used to retaliate against businesses for political or social reasons. —

Will Mccarthy, Longreads, 3 Jan. 2023 The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights logged a record number of discrimination complaints in the past year, the latest indicator of how the social and political strife roiling the country is reverberating in the nation’s schools. —

Erica L. Green, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'political.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.