statecraft

noun

state·​craft ˈstāt-ˌkraft 

: the art of conducting state affairs

Examples of statecraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As China emerged as a global power, its leaders began to see law as an instrument of statecraft and to recognize the country’s vulnerability to other countries’ legal power. — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

The reason this keeps happening—the reason populist movements don’t elevate public-spirited masters of statecraft—is that populism is all about rejecting elite expertise. — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026

Dollar dominance has provided Washington with tools of statecraft that previous great powers could scarcely imagine. — Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 June 2026

The collision of sport and statecraft is nothing new, from the 1936 Berlin Olympics to the Soviet boycott of Los Angeles in 1984. — Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, The Conversation, 11 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for statecraft

• allograft
• autograft
• autographed
• countershaft
• handicraft
• homograft
• hovercraft
• lithographed
• overdraft
• photographed
• rotorcraft
• telegraphed

Kids Definition

statecraft

noun

state·​craft ˈstāt-ˌkraft 

: the art of conducting government affairs