politics

From the adjective politic, by analogy with Aristotle’s τά πολῑτῐκᾱ́ (tá polītĭkā́, “affairs of state”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.ɪ.tɪks/, /ˈpɒl.ə.tɪks/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• (General American, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑ.lɪ.tɪks/, /ˈpɑ.lə.tɪks/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.ɪ.tɪks/, /ˈpɒl.ə.tɪks/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.ə.tɪks/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒl.ə.təks/, [ˈpɔ̟l.ə.təks]
• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.ɨ.tɪks/, /pɵl.ɨˈtɪks/
• Hyphenation: pol‧i‧tics
• Rhymes: -ɪks

politics (countable and uncountable, plural politics or (hypercorrect) politicses)

1. (countable) A methodology and activities associated with the interpersonal aspects of running a government, an organization, or a movement.

   local politics;   national politics;   office politics

   Most broadly, politics is everything that humans do, short of warfare, to influence or control each other; more narrowly, it is everything they do in a civilian context to determine the definitions of their polity, state, and government.

   War is the continuation of politics by other means; war is politics with the addition of hyperviolence and extra-⁠civilian scope.

   • 1996, Jan Jindy Pettman, Worlding Women: A feminist international politics, page ix-x:

     There are by now many feminisms (Tong, 1989; Humm, 1992). [...] They are in shifting alliance or contest with postmodern critiques, which at times seem to threaten the very category 'women' and its possibilities for a feminist politics.

2. (countable) The profession of conducting political affairs.

   He made a career out of politics.

3. (treated as a plural noun) One's political stands and opinions.

   Their politics are clear from the bumper stickers on their cars.

4. (uncountable) Political maneuvers or diplomacy between people, groups, or organizations, especially involving power, standing, influence or conflict.
   • 1999, George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, spoken by Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid):

     There is no stability; only politics. The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good.

5. (in the singular, informal) Real-world beliefs and social issues irrelevant to the topic at hand.

   We're trying to talk about comic books, don't mention politics.

politics

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of politic

• “politics”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “politics”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• colpitis, psilotic