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

Moreno was from Orange County and graduated from Chapman University with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

“The bipartisan reaction is really striking — you just don’t really see this on many issues any longer,” said Matt Levendusky, a UPenn professor of political science and communication.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Such a dip is not unusual following the assassination of a central founding figure like Kirk, says Mark Brewer, chair of the political science department at the University of Maine.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Women can have all of those qualities, too, and political science research suggests female candidates often perform as well as or better than male ones.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026

A magna cum laude graduate, she majored in political science in college and was deeply involved in campus social affairs, especially in anti- discrimination and anti-nuclear issues.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• civics