politic

See also: polític

English

Alternative forms

• politick (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒlətɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑlətɪk/

Etymology 1

From Middle French politique, from Latin politicus, from Ancient Greek πολιτικός (politikós), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). Cognate with German politisch (“political”). Doublet of politico.

Adjective

politic (comparative more politic, superlative most politic)

1. (archaic) Of or relating to polity, or civil government; political.

   the body politic

   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:

     [H]e with his people made all but one politic body whereof himself was the head

2. (archaic, of things) Relating to, or promoting, a policy, especially a national policy; well-devised; adapted to its end, whether right or wrong.

   a politic treaty

   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

     For then this land was famously enrich'd / With politic grave counsel

3. (archaic) Sagacious in promoting a policy; ingenious in devising and advancing a system of management; devoted to a scheme or system rather than to a principle; hence, in a good sense, wise; prudent; sagacious
   • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv]:

     I have been politic with my friend, smooth with mine enemy

4. Shrewd, prudent and expedient; showing policy.
   • 1999 February 28, Chris McGreal, “Nigerians give two cheers for flawed election”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     But as he headed for the front of the line one of his minders whispered that it might be politic to go to the back.

   • 2001 January 12, Jane Martinson, “Jeb Bush grilled on voting irregularities”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     But campaigners in Florida accused him of turning a blind eye to the real issues with his "politic" appearance before the commission.

   • 2010 April 20, Mark Lawson, “Politicians' pop-culture love-in”, in The Guardian‎^[3], →ISSN:

     What a politician likes to do for fun (or judges it politic to pretend he does) is seen as a clue to their personality, or even their politics.

5. Discreet and diplomatic.
   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 25:

     A unanimous exclamation called upon Evelyn himself to speak; and, after a minute's politic pause, he went on to state his plan.

   • 1915 June, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, in Prufrock and Other Observations, London: The Egoist […], published 1917, →OCLC, page 15:

     Deferential, glad to be of use, / Politic, cautious, and meticulous; […]

6. Artful, crafty or cunning.

Antonyms

• impolitic

Related terms

• body politic
• police
• policy
• political
• politician
• politicize
• politics
• polity

Noun

politic (plural politics)

1. (archaic) A politician.
   • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

     to speake truly of politikes & Statesmen

   • 1848, James Russell Lowell, The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell, Epigrams, 3:

     Swiftly the politic goes; is it dark? he borrows a lantern; / Slowly the statesman and sure, guiding his feet by the stars.

   • 1871, Benjamin Jowett, chapter III, in Plato: The Republic:

     And therefore our politic Asclepius may be supposed to have exhibited the power of his art only to persons who... had a definite ailment.

2. A politics; a set of political beliefs.
   • 1978 April 29, Michael Bronski, “Notes on a Necessary Gay Film”, in Gay Community News, page 11:

     While the stories and lives on the screen are alternately moving and funny, an unspoken question arises: does similar experience always lead to a coherent politic?

Etymology 2

Back-formation from politicking.

Verb

politic (third-person singular simple present politics, present participle politicking, simple past and past participle politicked)

1. Alternative spelling of politick
   • 2002, Dana Stabenow, A Fine and Bitter Snow, →ISBN, page 206:

     That why you turned the Kanuyaq Land Trust into the IRS for using donations to politic instead of to buy land?

   • 2009 February 4, “How to Fill a Senate Seat”, in New York Times‎^[4]:

     Residents of New York, Illinois and now New Hampshire have watched as their governors waffled, politicked and, in the case of Illinois, possibly broke the law carrying out their duties to appoint a new senator.

   • 2009, Scott N. Brooks, Black Men Can't Shoot, →ISBN, page 169:

     His brother [Anthony], he politicked him so well, that even his [Jason's] attitude, all the scouts got away from [forgot about] his [bad] attitude because he was a good player.

   • 2017, John Hayman, Bitter Harvest: Richmond Flowers and the Civil Rights Revolution, →ISBN:

     He made errors, and they should have reversed him, but he politicked the thing through.

Interlingua

Adjective

politic (comparative plus politic, superlative le plus politic)

1. political

Ladin

Adjective

politic m pl

1. plural of politich

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin polīticus, from Ancient Greek πολιτικός (politikós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pu.liˈtik]

Adjective

politic m (feminine singular politica, masculine plural politics, feminine plural politicas)

1. political

Derived terms

• politizar

Romanian

Alternative forms

• политик (politic) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin politicus or French politique.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /poˈli.tik/

Adjective

politic m or n (feminine singular politică, masculine plural politici, feminine and neuter plural politice)

1. political

Declension

Declension of politic

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	politic		politică		politici	politice
	definite	politicul		politica		politicii	politicele
genitive- dative	indefinite	politic		politice		politici	politice
	definite	politicului		politicei		politicilor	politicelor

Further reading

• “politic”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025