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retail politics

American

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

a political strategy or campaign style of meeting and speaking directly to as many voters as possible.

New Hampshire is a state where retail politics are decisive.
Not every candidate is good at retail politics.

retail politics British

noun

informal (functioning as plural) the practice of a politician soliciting in person for votes from the public

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of retail politics

First recorded in 1900–05; in the sense of “politics in which votes are for sale”

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:

retail politics

His all but certain replacement, Andy Burnham, promises more energy and skill at retail politics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

His schedule underlines that he also needs to be a quick study in a new skill - retail politics.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2025

Dispiriting, because all of the disappointments and ugly compromises of retail politics are in full view.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2024

The model for how retail politics can shape a presidential campaign was Rick Santorum’s 2012 run for the Republican nomination.

From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2024

With him at his side, DeSantis said that New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu was right in saying that retail politics are about "being able to answer questions."

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2023

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