political

[ puh-lit-i-kuhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with politics:

   political writers.

2. of, relating to, or connected with a political party:

   a political campaign.

3. exercising or seeking power in the governmental or public affairs of a state, municipality, etc.:

   a political machine;

   a political boss.

4. of, relating to, or involving the state or its government:

   a political offense.

5. having a definite policy or system of government:

   a political community.

6. of or relating to citizens:

   political rights.

political

/ pəˈlɪtɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the state, government, the body politic, public administration, policy-making, etc
2. 1. of, involved in, or relating to government policy-making as distinguished from administration or law
   2. of or relating to the civil aspects of government as distinguished from the military
3. of, dealing with, or relating to politics

   a political person

4. of, characteristic of, or relating to the parties and the partisan aspects of politics
5. organized or ordered with respect to government

   a political unit

Derived Forms

• poˈlitically, adverb

Other Word Forms

• po·liti·cal·ly adverb
• anti·po·liti·cal adjective
• anti·po·liti·cal·ly adverb
• nonpo·liti·cal adjective
• nonpo·liti·cal·ly adverb
• over·po·liti·cal adjective
• over·po·liti·cal·ly adverb
• prepo·liti·cal adjective
• prepo·liti·cal·ly adverb
• pseudo·po·liti·cal adjective
• quasi-po·liti·cal adjective
• quasi-po·liti·cal·ly adverb
• subpo·liti·cal adjective
• subpo·liti·cal·ly adverb
• unpo·liti·cal adjective
• unpo·liti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of political¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin polītic(us) “civic” ( politic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Levitsky attended Stanford and then UC Berkeley, and likely would have spent his career in relative obscurity, writing academic tomes about political parties in Argentina.

From Los Angeles Times

Upon its release, some viewers were exasperated by the film’s purposefully opaque political commentary.

From Salon

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed it as a success for Rome that Bangladesh, Egypt and Tunisia were on the list, in the face of "purely ideological political opposition".

From BBC

In recent years it is a question that has caused political punch-ups, party splits and despatch box spats.

From BBC

Throughout his court trials after leaving office in 2021, Trump repeatedly said he believed his political opponents were weaponizing the justice system against him.

From BBC