Noun

politics (plural uncountable, sometimes treated as singular uncountable)

1. The practice of responding to conflict with dialogue.

   This issue should be solved with politics, not weapons.

2. Set of policies relating to governmental and legal matters

   I don’t like his politics.

3. Campaigning or arguing for a set of policies, or maneuvering for power

   I want to go into politics.

4. The study of disputes between rival political factions.

   Favoritism is the only use of politics. Richard L Kempe

5. Political affairs of life, party politics, local politics.

   He’s thinking of going into politics, e.g., trying to become a Member of Parliament.

6. Political views or beliefs.

   What are your politics?

7. rivalry between political parties

   They’re not concerned with welfare: it’s all politics!

Derived terms

• palace politics
• political
• politician

• politicize
• politic
• geopolitics

• necropolitics
• petropolitics

Related terms

• police

• policy

• polity

Politics is a process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic and religious institutions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power" and refers to the regulation of a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.

The word "Politics" comes from the Greek word πολἰς ("polis") meaning city-state. The Greek word πολίτἰκος "Politikos" describes anything concerning the state or city affairs. In Latin, this was "politicus" and in French "politique". Thus it became "politics" in Middle English (see the Concise Oxford Dictionary). The most perfect example of the Greek city-state is Athens.