Politburo

American  

[pol-it-byoor-oh, poh-lit-, puh-lit-] / ˈpɒl ɪtˌbyʊər oʊ, ˈpoʊ lɪt-, pəˈlɪt- /

Or Politbureau

noun

1. (often lowercase) the executive committee and chief policymaking body of a Communist Party.

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Politburo British  

/ ˈpɒlɪtˌbjʊərəʊ /

noun

1. the executive and policy-making committee of a Communist Party

2. the supreme policy-making authority in most Communist countries

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politburo Cultural  

1. A commonly used name for those who made the major governmental decisions in the former Soviet Union. A politburo, in general, is the chief committee of a communist party.

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Etymology

Origin of Politburo

< Russian politbyuró, shortening of politícheskoe byuró political bureau

Explanation

A committee of communist leaders is a politburo. The Soviet politburo was dissolved when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Politburo is a translation of the Russian Politbyuro, shorthand for politicheskoe byuro, or "political bureau." This executive committee is responsible for essentially all policy decisions and holds true power in most communist countries. The original politburo, formed during the 1917 Russian Revolution by the Bolsheviks, included Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin among its members. China’s current politburo is formally called the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China.

Example Sentences

"To Lam is the first among equals, but he's also answerable to the Politburo," he said, pointing to other senior figures in the 19-member committee.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The Politburo now has 21 active members, down from the 24 men who started the current term in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In 2017, Zhang was promoted to one of the CMC's vice chairman positions, also joining the Communist Party's elite body, the Politburo.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Like Xi, Zhang, a member of the party’s elite Politburo, is one of China’s “princelings,” as the descendants of revolutionary elders and high-ranking party officials are known.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

KGB general Oleg Kalugin later wrote that the Soviet Politburo believed that Ames "has presented information of such value that he should be paid as much as possible."

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau