political science

American  

noun

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

---

political science British  

noun

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

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• political scientist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of political science

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

political science

“In some ways in Texas this is old news,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, who teaches political science at the University of Houston.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

He is now 38 and living in exile in the Netherlands, where he was granted asylum, and is pursuing an MA in political science - following in his father's footsteps.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 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

Annika Freden, associate professor in political science at Lund University, said Kristersson could expect to get the cold shoulder from the centre.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

I had a good visit with Dr. Shawarbi’s son, Muhammad Sha- warbi, a nineteen-year-old, who was studying economics and political science at Cairo University.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• civics