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

Example Sentences

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

Zhang also sits on the party's top decision-making body, the 24-person Politburo.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

The Politburo, China’s top decision-making body, this week reiterated a pledge to boost demand, long weighed down by a property slump and job market weakness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

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