politics

American  

[pol-i-tiks] / ˈpɒl ɪ tɪks /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the science or art of political government.

2. the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.

3. political affairs.

   The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics.

4. political methods or maneuvers.

   We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill.

5. political principles or opinions.

   We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair.

6. use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc.

7. (initial capital letter, italics) a treatise (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle, dealing with the structure, organization, and administration of the state, especially the city-state as known in ancient Greece.

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idioms

1. play politics,

   1. to engage in political intrigue, take advantage of a political situation or issue, resort to partisan politics, etc.; exploit a political system or political relationships.

   2. to deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way, as for job advancement.

politics British  

/ ˈpɒlɪtɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the practice or study of the art and science of forming, directing, and administrating states and other political units; the art and science of government; political science

2. (functioning as singular) the complex or aggregate of relationships of people in society, esp those relationships involving authority or power

3. (functioning as plural) political activities or affairs

   party politics

4. (functioning as singular) the business or profession of politics

5. (functioning as singular or plural) any activity concerned with the acquisition of power, gaining one's own ends, etc

   company politics are frequently vicious

6. (functioning as plural) opinions, principles, sympathies, etc, with respect to politics

   his conservative politics

7. (functioning as plural)

   1. the policy-formulating aspects of government as distinguished from the administrative, or legal

   2. the civil functions of government as distinguished from the military

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politics More Idioms  

1. see play politics.

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Other Word Forms

• antipolitics
  adjective
• propolitics
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of politics

First recorded in 1520–30; see origin at politic, -ics

Explanation

Your friend who's obsessed with watching Congressional debates and listening to experts discuss the bills being voted on in the Senate has a keen interest in politics, or the details of governing or managing a state or a country. While politics usually refers to the government of a city, state, or country — or the relationship between countries — it can also be used to talk about the way people use their positions in a company or organization to gain power or authority. This is often called office politics. Another similar phrase is playing politics, which means doing something in order to become more powerful rather than doing what's right.

Example Sentences

Politics and communications professor Dan Schnur, who had Pratt in class, described him as smart but also a “very unconventional” student.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Politics remains noisy, but it is still just background noise.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

But Matthew Kavanagh, director of the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, said the US response thus far was "disappointing" and called travel bans "more theater than effective public health measures."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 17 May at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Politics on occasion crept into the dialogue, much like an exotic plant growing amid descriptions of vetch as the ideal rotation crop.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• campaigning
• government