political system

American

noun

a coordinated set of principles, laws, ideas, and procedures relating to a particular form of government, or the form of government itself.

Democracy is a political system in which citizens govern themselves.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

political systems

plural

Etymology

Origin of political system

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

political system

The British political system "fosters the eccentricity, the wonderment and the humour of politics", he added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

There have been many changes in America’s political system in the last decade or so, but some things are perennial.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

Declaring a national emergency is significant in Spain’s decentralized political system, allowing the central government to lead the effort to contain the fires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

But that is not how France's political system works.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

He was fond of Cuba, not, I thought, for its political system or ideology, but mainly because of its remarkable health statistics.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023