body politic

noun

1
: a group of persons politically organized under a single governmental authority
2
3
: a people considered as a collective unit

Examples of body politic 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.
With the media’s normalization of white nationalism, recent years have made clear that there is a new urgency to assess the role that artists, through works of art, have played to illuminate the searing contours of the American body politic. Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 Jen Soriano tenderly, unflinchingly excavates layers of history and pain—found both in her body and our body politic—and offers all of us tools and materials to build a path toward wholeness. Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025 A little ahead of schedule, today’s announcement may send some shockwaves through the West Coast body politic as all indications were that the former Veep was staffed up and ready to roll up to Sacramento. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 July 2025 This very public dust-up can be seen as another notch in the deteriorating state of the U.S. body politic. Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for body politic

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of body politic was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Body politic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20politic. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

body politic

noun
body pol·​i·​tic
-ˈpä-lə-tik
plural bodies politic
: a group of individuals organized under a single governmental authority
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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