politics

noun

pol·​i·​tics ˈpä-lə-ˌtiks 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

a

: the art or science of government

b

: the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy

c

: the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government

2

: political actions, practices, or policies

3

a

: political affairs or business

especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government)

b

: political life especially as a principal activity or profession

c

: political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices

4

: the political opinions or sympathies of a person

5

a

: the total complex of relations between people living in society

b

: relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view

office politics

ethnic politics

Did you know?

Playing Politics

Politics is a multifaceted word. It has a set of fairly specific meanings that are descriptive and nonjudgmental (such as “the art or science of government” and "political principles"), but it can and often does carry a negative meaning closely related to these (“political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices”). English is a flexible language, and it is not uncommon for a word to have multiple related meanings that run the connotative gamut from good to bad. Some of these have been around for a surprisingly long time. The negative sense of politics, as seen in the phrase play politics, for example, has been in use since at least 1853, when abolitionist Wendell Phillips declared: “We do not play politics; anti-slavery is no half-jest with us.”

Examples of politics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025

Rebecca Shabad Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington. —Rebecca Shabad, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025

In fact, Jeffrey Budziak, a politics professor at Western Kentucky University, said people who vote in primary elections aren’t representative of people who vote in general elections. —Hannah Pinski, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025

Stirewalt is the politics editor for The Hill, veteran campaign and elections journalist and best-selling author of books about American political history. —Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Polletiques, Polytykys, as title of Aristotle's Politics, from politik "of spiritual or secular governance, political" + -iques, -ykys -ics, after Middle French politiques, polliticques and Medieval Latin polītica, after Greek tà politiká "public matters, civic affairs," from neuter plural of politikós "of citizens, civic, of a state, political, public" — more at politic

First Known Use

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing politics

• anti-politics
• enter politics
• go into politics
• identity politics
• office politics
• party politics
• play politics
• power politics

Rhymes for politics

• bolsheviks
• candlesticks
• crucifix
• intermix
• lunatics
• mensheviks
• orthotics
• politicks
• biopolitics
• bricks
• brix
• chicks

Kids Definition

politics

singular or plural noun

pol·​i·​tics ˈpäl-ə-ˌtiks 

1

a

: political science

b

: the art of guiding or influencing governmental policy

c

: the art of winning and holding control over a government

2

: political affairs or business

especially : competition between groups or individuals for power and leadership

3

: political opinions