Political

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pəˈlɪtɪkÉ™l/
• Hyphenation: po + lit + i + cal

Alternative forms

• politicall obsolete

Origin

From Latin politicus + -al.

Full definition of political

Adjective

1. Concerning or relating to politics, the art and process of governing.
• 2012-01, Philip E. Mirowski, Harms to Health from the Pursuit of Profits, In an era when political leaders promise deliverance from decline through America’s purported preeminence in scientific research, the news that science is in deep trouble in the United States has been as unwelcome as a diagnosis of leukemia following the loss of health insurance.
• 2012, November 7, Matt Bai, Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, That brief moment after the election four years ago, when many Americans thought Mr. Obama’s election would presage a new, less fractious political era, now seems very much a thing of the past.
2. Political principles are rarely absolute, as political logic holds an imperfect result by compromise is better than a theoretically perfect abstention from the political process in the opposition.
3. Concerning a polity or its administrative components.
   Good political staff is hard to find, they may neither be ambitious and corrupted by power nor tempted by private sector careers.
4. (pejorative) Motivated, especially inappropriately, by political (electoral or other party political) calculation.
5. Of or relating to views about social relationships that involve power or authority.
6. (of a person) Interested in politics.

Synonyms

• politic

Antonyms

• nonpolitical, non-political

Derived terms

Related terms

Noun

1. A political agent or officer.
• 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society 2010, p. 265:One such officer was Count Nikolai Ignatiev, a brilliant and ambitious political, who enjoyed the ear of the Tsar and burned to settle his country's scores with the British.
2. a publication centred around politics