geopolitics

American  

[jee-oh-pol-i-tiks] / ˌdʒi oʊˈpɒl ɪ tɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the study or the application of the influence of political and economic geography on the politics, national power, foreign policy, etc., of a state.

2. the combination of geographic and political factors influencing or delineating a country or region.

3. a national policy based on the interrelation of politics and geography.

4. a Nazi doctrine that a combination of political, geographic, historical, racial, and economic factors substantiated Germany's right to expand its borders and control various strategic land masses and natural resources.

---

geopolitics British  

/ ˌdʒiːəʊˈpɒlɪtɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the study of the effect of geographical factors on politics, esp international politics; political geography

2. (functioning as plural) the combination of geographical and political factors affecting a country or area

3. (functioning as plural) politics as they affect the whole world; global politics

---

Other Word Forms

• geopolitic adjective
• geopolitical adjective
• geopolitically adverb
• geopolitician noun
• geopolitist noun

Etymology

Origin of geopolitics

1900–05; translation of German Geopolitik. See geo-, politics

Explanation

Geopolitics is the study of how things like a country's land, climate, and natural resources all affect its government and economy. The geopolitics of the U.S. are influenced by its extremely large size. Geopolitics may sound intimidating, but it's really nothing more than a combination of geography and politics. It's what happens when you take the physical features of a place, including the ways humans interact with those features, and look at their influence on how the place is governed. When you examine the geopolitics of the U.K., its small size and the fact that it's an island play a huge part in its ability to defend its borders from attack.

Example Sentences

He said that as he risked his life to save Shine, geopolitics had not crossed his mind.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

But, for Emanuel, the critical difference between 1982 and 2026 lies in geopolitics and the oil-price dynamic.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

He said geopolitics remained uncertain and “we need a stable environment and consistent policy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The church is the clearest example of what theorists of geopolitics call “soft power,” said Massimo Faggioli, a church historian and professor at Trinity College Dublin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Nor is it my job to explain the geopolitics of countries you keep hearing about in the news or to defend a peaceful religion practiced by one-point-six billion people.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

Related Words

• earth science
• geology
• topography