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.
"But the takeaway is that it's been very successful and I think the King has demonstrated his statecraft both by word and deed."
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
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
A speech at the Pnyx, where Athenians once gathered for popular assemblies that birthed democracy, provided a perfect opportunity to link America First to ancient Greek statecraft.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026
Former Fijian diplomat Salote Tagivakatini said the moves were less about calculated statecraft and more about religious conviction.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Like an ancestor volume of Machiavelli’s The Prince, De Ora- tore is a treatise on statecraft that casts light on the idea of the state.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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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.
