power politics

American  

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. political action characterized by the exercise or pursuit of power as a means of coercion.

2. international diplomacy based on the use or threatened use of military or economic power.

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power politics British  

noun

1. (functioning as singular) (in international affairs) the threat or use of force as an instrument of national policy

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Etymology

Origin of power politics

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

power politics

“Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of the world do not condone power politics, conflict and confrontation, or isolation and backwardness.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

They’re not privy to the power politics of Manhattan after parties.

From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2026

Slow of speech, Fiennes’ Macbeth gives us a clue as to what Hamlet might be like if he had survived and learned to play the deadly game of power politics.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2024

“The Arab people value independence, oppose external interference, stand up to power politics and high-handedness, and always seek to make progress,” Xi’s column read.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2022

Masters of power politics, engineers of genius, the Mexica were also upstarts and pretenders, arrivistes who falsely claimed a brilliant line of descent.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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