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 Christian nationalism has been a part of the American body politic since before the founding of the republic, said Andrew Whitehead, an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. Will Carless, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The issue roiled the country and exposed an ugly vein of bigotry in the American body politic. Harold Holzer, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 Other problems have deeper roots in the American body politic. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 20 Oct. 2023 In Nguyen’s work here, Emerson’s idealism runs parallel to American infiltrations into the Vietnamese body politic. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023 The connection tells us something about the unholy mixture of antisemitism, anti-Communism, and conspiracy theory which was part of the Southern resistance to desegregation, and which still circulates in the American body politic. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023 And this week, the norm-busting impact of Donald Trump on our body politic may have reached its peak. ABC News, 2 Apr. 2023 Greene’s call, however, is not a cure for the disease in our body politic but a symptom of it. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 25 Feb. 2023 Here's a look at what the settlement means for the conservative news powerhouse, the U.S. body politic, and accountability for the post-election lies of 2020. Peter Weber, The Week, 19 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'body politic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near body politic

Cite this Entry

“Body politic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20politic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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