political

[ puh-lit-i-kuhl ]
See synonyms for: politicalpolitically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or concerned with politics: political writers.

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

  1. exercising or seeking power in the governmental or public affairs of a state, municipality, etc.: a political machine;a political boss.

  2. of, relating to, or involving the state or its government: a political offense.

  3. having a definite policy or system of government: a political community.

  4. of or relating to citizens: political rights.

Origin of political

1
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin polītic(us) “civic” (see politic) + -al1

Other words from political

  • 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

Words that may be confused with political

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use political in a sentence

  • Six pounds a week for abusing the brutal Saxon is far better than the pound or thirty shillings of their pre-political days.

    Ireland as It Is | Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)

British Dictionary definitions for political

political

/ (pəˈlɪtɪkəl) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the state, government, the body politic, public administration, policy-making, etc

    • of, involved in, or relating to government policy-making as distinguished from administration or law

    • of or relating to the civil aspects of government as distinguished from the military

  1. of, dealing with, or relating to politics: a political person

  2. of, characteristic of, or relating to the parties and the partisan aspects of politics

  3. organized or ordered with respect to government: a political unit

Derived forms of political

  • politically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012