pol

¹ American  

[pol] / pɒl /

noun

Informal.

1. a politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.

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POL ² American  

1. petroleum, oil, and lubricants.

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pol. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. political.

2. politics.

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Pol. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Poland.

2. Also Pol Polish.

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Pol. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Poland

2. Polish

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POL ² British  

abbreviation

1. petroleum, oil, and lubricants

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Usage

What does pol mean? Pol is an informal word for a politician—a person who holds or is seeking political office as an elected government official.Like the word politician, pol is most commonly used in the context of politicians campaigning, giving speeches, and promoting themselves, as opposed to the activities that they do as part of being a government official—voting, debating issues, and working to find solutions to problems (in which case a politician might be called a representative or officeholder—or a legislator or lawmaker, if they work in a lawmaking capacity).Pol is especially used to refer to a long-term politician who’s experienced in making political deals or exchanging political favors.For that reason, it’s often used in a negative way, such as to refer to politicians who are considered members of the establishment.The informal term politico can be used to mean the same thing.Example: We should be focusing on real issues instead of listening to endless rhetoric from pols and pundits.

Etymology

Origin of pol

First recorded in 1940–45; by shortening

Example Sentences

Deftly unraveling the tangled politics of the moment, Mr. Wallace vividly shows La Guardia juggling factions of fusionist Republicans, communists, interventionists, isolationists, Tammany pols and a rat’s nest of the city’s fierce ethnic rivalries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wearing a blouse decorated with orange poppies, the bespectacled Barrios looked every bit the polite pol that O.C. leaders had taken her to be.

From Los Angeles Times

I asked the veteran pol whether he’d noticed a decline in state Capitol coverage.

From Los Angeles Times

This sounded like the McCarthy that Sacramento pols remember from 20 years ago — the widely respected, pragmatic, moderate young minority leader of the California state Assembly.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet the veteran California pol, a determined survivor, is the key to guiding his party to a shutdown resolution.

From Seattle Times