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• politico
  politico

  noun

  a politician.
• politico-
  politico-

  a combining form representing political in compound words.

politico

¹ American  

[puh-lit-i-koh] / pəˈlɪt ɪˌkoʊ /

noun

politicos plural

1. a politician.

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politico- ² American  

1. a combining form representing political in compound words.

   politico-religious.

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politico- ¹ British  

combining form

1. denoting political or politics

   politicoeconomic

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politico ² British  

/ pəˈlɪtɪˌkəʊ /

noun

1. an informal word for a politician politician

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Usage

What does politico mean? Politico is an informal word for a politician—a person who holds or is seeking political office as an elected government official. Like the word politician, politico is most commonly used in the context of politicians campaigning, giving speeches, and promoting themselves, as opposed to the activities that they do as part of being a government official—voting, debating issues, and working to find solutions to problems (in which case a politician might be called a representative or officeholder—or a legislator or lawmaker, if they work in a lawmaking capacity). Politico is especially used to refer to a long-term politician who’s experienced in making political deals or exchanging political favors. For that reason, it’s often used in a negative way, such as to refer to politicians who are considered members of the establishment. The informal term pol can be used to mean the same thing. Example: We should be focusing on real issues instead of listening to endless rhetoric from politicos and pundits.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• politicos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of politico

1620–30; < Italian or Spanish

Explanation

Someone who's involved in politics can be called a politico. If you're managing your friend's campaign for school president while simultaneously running for school treasurer, you're a bit of a politico. Politico is basically an informal way to say "politician," although the term also includes people who follow politics or act behind the scenes in the political arena. It's often used in a fairly negative way: "Those politicos will use any dirty tricks to get their guy elected." Politico is originally a Spanish word meaning "political."

Example Sentences

Cambiar esas políticas no es imposible, pero requeriría un escenario político específico.

From New York Times • Aug. 27, 2023

El senador Josh Hawley, republicano por Missouri, dijo la semana pasada que estaba investigando las conexiones entre el gasto político y la política.

From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2022

Una artista se enamora de un político casado, y cuando es acusada de asesinato, la esposa de éste adopta a su hija.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2019

Luego, León Krauze explica el ambiente social y político desde la Ciudad de México.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2018

Lo mismo pasa con las nuevas fórmulas, con las innovaciones en el orden moral y político.

From The Woman and the Right to Vote by Palma, Rafael