political science

American  

noun

1. a social science dealing with political institutions and with the principles and conduct of government.

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political science British  

noun

1. (esp as an academic subject) the study of the state, government, and politics: one of the social sciences

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political science Cultural  

1. The systematic study of government and politics. Political science is a social science that makes generalizations and analyses about political systems and political behavior and uses these results to predict future behavior. Political science includes the study of political philosophy, ethics, international relations and foreign policy, public administration, and the dynamic relations between different parts of governments.

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Other Word Forms

• political scientist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of political science

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

political science

“It’s not clear that any of these reforms helped elect more moderates or limit polarization,” said Rick Hasen, a professor of law and political science at UCLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

"It seems unlikely that the by-election will be consequential for British politics," University of Southampton political science professor Will Jennings told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Li studied political science at a Taipei university but doesn’t talk politics with his friends, to avoid conflict given the rancor of Taiwan’s political scene.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Two years later, he graduated debt-free with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in philosophy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

“No. Comparative politics. You can't do just Africa in political science graduate programs in this country. You can compare Africa to Poland or Israel but focusing on Africa itself? They don't let you do that.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• civics