Library / English Dictionary

POLITICS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The profession devoted to governing and to political affairs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("politics" is a kind of...):

profession (an occupation requiring special education (especially in the liberal arts or sciences))

Domain category:

government; political science; politics (the study of government of states and other political units)

Derivation:

political (of or relating to the profession of governing)

politician (a person active in party politics)

politician (a leader engaged in civil administration)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The activities and affairs involved in managing a state or a government

Example:

government agencies multiplied beyond the control of representative politics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("politics" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

affairs (transactions of professional or public interest)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The study of government of states and other political units

Synonyms:

government; political science; politics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("politics" is a kind of...):

social science (the branch of science that studies society and the relationships of individual within a society)

Domain category:

administration; governance; governing; government; government activity (the act of governing; exercising authority)

Domain member category:

civilisation; civilization (a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations))

side (one of two or more contesting groups)

assassin; assassinator; bravo (a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed)

muckraker; mudslinger (one who spreads real or alleged scandal about another (usually for political advantage))

fencesitter; independent; mugwump (a neutral or uncommitted person (especially in politics))

regular (a dependable follower (especially in party politics))

coattails effect ((politics) the consequence of one popular candidate in an election drawing votes for other members of the same political party)

war chest (a fund accumulated to finance a war (or a political campaign))

Sturm und Drang; turbulence; upheaval (a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally))

minimalist (advocating minimal reforms (as in government or politics))

Soviets (the government of the Soviet Union)

combination (an alliance of people or corporations or countries for a special purpose (formerly to achieve some antisocial end but now for general political or economic purposes))

nominating address; nominating speech; nomination (an address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for election)

catechism (a series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views)

cabal; conspiracy (a plot to carry out some harmful or illegal act (especially a political plot))

demonstration; manifestation (a public display of group feelings (usually of a political nature))

patronage ((politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support)

mandate (the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory)

politics (the profession devoted to governing and to political affairs)

bolt (a sudden abandonment (as from a political party))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "politics"):

geopolitics (the study of the effects of economic geography on the powers of the state)

practical politics; realpolitik (politics based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The opinion you hold with respect to political questions

Synonyms:

political sympathies; politics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("politics" is a kind of...):

opinion; persuasion; sentiment; thought; view (a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty)

Derivation:

political (of or relating to your views about social relationships involving authority or power)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power

Example:

office politics is often counterproductive

Synonyms:

political relation; politics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("politics" is a kind of...):

social relation (a relation between living organisms (especially between people))

Domain member category:

wilderness ((politics) a state of disfavor)

Derivation:

politician (a person active in party politics)

politician (a leader engaged in civil administration)

Credits

 Context examples: 

You will meet successful people from many walks of life including government, academia, business, publishing and broadcasting, diplomacy, politics, medicine, and law, so January and the months ahead will be stimulating and exciting.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The books were of the most varied kind—history, geography, politics, political economy, botany, geology, law—all relating to England and English life and customs and manners.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The whole question of the Netherland-Sumatra Company and of the colossal schemes of Baron Maupertuis are too recent in the minds of the public, and are too intimately concerned with politics and finance to be fitting subjects for this series of sketches.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But nothing of that kind occurred, no visitors appeared to delay them, and they all three set off in good time for the pump-room, where the ordinary course of events and conversation took place; Mr. Allen, after drinking his glass of water, joined some gentlemen to talk over the politics of the day and compare the accounts of their newspapers; and the ladies walked about together, noticing every new face, and almost every new bonnet in the room.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The less worthy females were to come in the evening, with Miss Bates, Miss Fairfax, and Miss Smith; but already, at dinner, they were too numerous for any subject of conversation to be general; and, while politics and Mr. Elton were talked over, Emma could fairly surrender all her attention to the pleasantness of her neighbour.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

When the ladies withdrew to the drawing-room after dinner, this poverty was particularly evident, for the gentlemen HAD supplied the discourse with some variety—the variety of politics, inclosing land, and breaking horses—but then it was all over; and one subject only engaged the ladies till coffee came in, which was the comparative heights of Harry Dashwood, and Lady Middleton's second son William, who were nearly of the same age.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

As to you, dear, I fear that this is a matter of politics.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had become interested, in a day, in economics, industry, and politics.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Colonel Dent and Mr. Eshton argue on politics; their wives listen.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

But the pain increased as politics absorbed John, who was always running over to discuss interesting points with Scott, quite unconscious that Meg missed him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)