statecraft
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of statecraft
Explanation
The ability to be a savvy and effective political leader is statecraft. If the President isn't skilled at statecraft, he or she will have a hard time accomplishing anything. A lot goes into statecraft, which is sometimes called "the art of governing." Political experience, diplomacy, and leadership skills are all essential to statecraft. The ultimate goal of statecraft depends on who is practicing it; for some it's power and for others it's world peace. The word statecraft has been used in English since the 17th century.
Vocabulary lists containing statecraft
Antigone
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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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.
She relishes the tedious sausage-making of statecraft, the kind of stuff that makes you and me bleed from our ears.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
You could describe that as the meaningless courtesies of routine statecraft, but it also suggested a high-flying hotel guest offering his compliments to the concierge: The eggs this morning were entirely delicious.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted five core principles of American economic statecraft in the 21st century.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Treasury is organizing its economic statecraft around five core principles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
As a result, their attainments in astronomical theory seem to have paled in comparison to their achievements in engineering, medicine, and statecraft.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.