Definition of political in English:

adjective

• 1Relating to the government or public affairs of a country.

  ‘a period of political and economic stability’

  More example sentences

  • ‘An egalitarian democratic ideal extends beyond public affairs and the political sphere.’
  • ‘He was a valuable board member with in depth knowledge of New Zealand economic and political affairs.’
  • ‘But in my experience, political and economic affairs tend to be a lot more complex than that.’
  • ‘Women make a significant contribution to social, political and economic affairs.’
  • ‘It is shifted out of the political public policy arena into bureaucratic programs.’
  • ‘What the public wants now is political stability that may allow a quick recovery of the economy.’
  • ‘An individual or group can initiate, or obstruct, public policy in many political arenas.’
  • ‘It had nothing to do with the public, or domestic or international political affairs.’
  • ‘For the first time in a lot of years, the governor has stepped overtly into political affairs.’
  • ‘So I don't think there is such a close link between political stability and economic performance.’
  • ‘How do you see the region in terms of political and economic stability and opportunities for development?’
  • ‘She had a practical view on how political stability would benefit economic progress.’
  • ‘Is it a think tank session for economic and political stability in the Caribbean?’
  • ‘He has lectured and written extensively on Australian and West Australian political affairs.’
  • ‘The ruler of the state, the khan, was in charge of foreign political affairs and was commander of the army in times of war.’
  • ‘The confrontation of opinions is the only hope for approaching rationality in political affairs.’
  • ‘As doctors battled to find out what caused a sudden deterioration in his health, his political and personal affairs were in a mess.’
  • ‘Perhaps this is an obituary after all, for the loss of a mature political culture in which public service was its own enduring reward.’
  • ‘And, they are not the ones who have a direct stake in the political affairs in their societies.’
  • ‘It appears to have been a device used to intervene in dramatic fashion in the nation's political affairs.’

  Synonyms

  governmental, government, local government, ministerial, parliamentary, party political, diplomatic, legislative, policy-making, constitutional, public, civic, state, administrative, bureaucratic

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  1. 1.1Relating to the ideas or strategies of a particular party or group in politics.
     ‘a decision taken for purely political reasons’
     More example sentences

     • ‘It was Thoreau's ideas that shaped the political strategies of Mahatma Gandhi and later King.’
     • ‘This was in part the result of the grand strategy of the major political parties.’
     • ‘The idea that a political party should field a film star to attract votes.’
     • ‘Read about the new idea for a political party to attract former Australian rock stars.’
     • ‘Surely here is an idea for any political party desperate for a bit of blue-sky thinking.’
     • ‘There is no reason for any political party to swamp these protests with posters.’
     • ‘My usual idea of political activism is defacing the candidate's photos in their election literature.’
     • ‘That requires a political strategy in which military action is but one component.’
     • ‘In this sense the trauma this week is that of a party involved in a belated change of political strategy.’
     • ‘The U.S. faces the problem of an unraveling military and political strategy.’
     • ‘Could these confidential files not been used for partisan political reasons?’
     • ‘The citizens are presented as eloquent and well-organised with a reasoned political strategy.’
     • ‘The idea that one could challenge the canon for any but political reasons was entirely alien to them.’
     • ‘The political reason was that the base of the party was going to be slow to forgive.’
     • ‘Pedro used these powers when he could not compel political factions or parties to do his bidding.’
     • ‘The region was ceded to Italy after the war for purely political, not military reasons.’
     • ‘The use of propaganda during the Cold War, for example, led to the dumbing down of valuable political ideas.’
     • ‘Are there no practices of trading political favors for money, big money, in the other political parties?’
     • ‘She said this would enable political parties to mature further and ensure their ability to form governments.’
     • ‘It is almost certain that the general election will be dominated by large political parties with a long tradition.’
     Synonyms

     activist, active, militant, factional, partisan, party, party political

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  2. 1.2Interested in or active in politics.
     ‘I'm not very political’
     More example sentences

     • ‘These are sombre thoughts for anyone interested in current political thought.’
     • ‘How many of the active political bloggers on the graph are Libertarians?’
     • ‘Churchill's active political life began when Queen Victoria still reigned.’
     • ‘So, basically it's time for a lazy suburban armchair political theorist to get active.’
     • ‘What famous political leader, active now or in history, is an inspiration to you?’
     • ‘Of course his active political life was over quite a time ago, but we have always been very good friends.’
     • ‘He's been in the public eye for decades and active in politics and political circles for years.’
     • ‘He supported Mussolini's rise to power, but retired from active political life in 1925.’
     • ‘None of them appears to be any more political than before, in fact some seemed less interested.’
     • ‘The need for Canadians to eat better and be more active is the current hot topic in both media and political circles.’
     • ‘Young people in urban China, especially in Shanghai, have shown little political concern.’
     • ‘Our generation at least had had political heroes who motivated us even though they were finally shown to have feet of clay.’
     • ‘The concern of the political class has been to prevent these attacks from spreading to targets of more, ah, general interest.’
     • ‘By the middle of the nineteenth century political thinking was concerned with issues to which the Republic seemed relevant.’
     • ‘This group is seen as a criminal gang rather than a political group.’
     • ‘One could take any organization, political, religious or whatever.’
     • ‘We should not give a government of the future the ability to exercise massive power against its political rivals.’
     • ‘Tell them to start a political hip-hop organization and get money out of their school.’
     • ‘He is better known as a political leader rather than a social reformer.’
     • ‘Do you think that there is some secret political organization behind me?’
  3. 1.3Motivated by a person's beliefs or actions concerning politics.
     ‘a political crime’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Scotland's rebel MSPTommy Sheridan faces a second prison sentence for standing up for his political beliefs.’
     • ‘Her political beliefs had been bolstered by her religious faith and she saw the emergence of a democratic society as a proper salvation.’
     • ‘One can never know precisely how personal experience motivates political values.’
     • ‘I wanted to create a space for new generations to voice their political and spiritual concerns, to excite and incite each other.’
     • ‘We are told to trust un-elected technocrats, that political or popular concerns are invalid.’
     • ‘The political inquest mostly concerns what can be done to prevent known trouble-makers from travelling abroad.’
     • ‘I have political beliefs that not everybody agrees with, and they are entitled to disagree because that is democracy.’
     • ‘That also explains why he's gone to America, a much bigger media market and an area more closely in tune with his political beliefs.’
     • ‘Membership was open to all Jewish workers regardless of political beliefs.’
     • ‘This makes me wonder whether people choose their political beliefs for their cultural meanings too.’
     • ‘However, it was purely an intellectual exercise and not necessarily my own political beliefs.’
     • ‘Singer notes well the various analogies between mutation and more prosaic political and cultural concerns.’
     • ‘These people need space to express their political and social concerns.’
     • ‘And the presenters, too, are proud to wear their political beliefs on their sleeves.’
     • ‘However, there has been some political concern recently over the cost of mobile phone calls in Ireland.’
     • ‘Today's exam system is motivated by political targets and explicitly therapeutic goals.’
     • ‘Many closed trials which give rise to concern are those of a military or revolutionary nature when political crimes are discussed.’
     • ‘In contrast, the concern of the political movements was the changing of society.’
     • ‘That meeting ended without any conclusion, but it did not allay concerns about political pressure.’
     • ‘There are clearly several levels of political concerns that need to be considered in interpreting these tales.’

• 2derogatory Done or acting in the interests of status or power within an organization rather than as a matter of principle.

  More example sentences

  • ‘Let's hope such a review, if it happens, follows sound educational principles rather than political ones.’
  • ‘Planning committees are required to decide planning matters in a judicial way rather than on political considerations.’
  • ‘By supporting the status quo they have put political expediency before the interests of our children.’
  • ‘It raises many issues: power play, political choices and how far one should go for one's ideals?’
  • ‘The outcome was a caricature of Western knowledge of the Orient, driven by an overtly political agenda.’
  • ‘By being political in nature, it is about a form of violent negotiation.’
  • ‘"I don't want to make it too political," she says.’
  • ‘Their aim at all times is non political.’
  • ‘They realise that we are non political, non sectarian and are just a group who want to help.’