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political theory

American  
[puh-lit-ik-uhl theer-ee] / pəˈlɪt ɪk əl ˈθɪər i /

noun

plural

political theories
  1. any theory concerning how political power is acquired and used in government, either generally or within a particular ideology.

  2. the branch of political science dealing with such theories.


Other Word Forms

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.

Trump also responded to a comment by Xi referring to the "Thucydides Trap," a political theory that war becomes more likely when a rising new power competes with an established great power.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Mr. Galston is the author of 10 books and more than 100 articles in the fields of political theory, public policy, and American politics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

I base this not on any grand political theory but on how many times I stood next to members of Congress at urinals at DCA during my years living in D.C.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2025

Carl Schmitt, a German legal scholar, was a supporter of the Nazi Party who sought to justify Hitler's policies in his writings on legal and political theory.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

Profoundly religious in his early youth, he embraces with the same ardor, the same passion, and the same spirit of sacrifice the new political theory of equality.

From Violence and the Labor Movement by Hunter, Robert

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