political science

1 of 2

noun (1)

: a social science concerned chiefly with the description and analysis of political and especially governmental institutions and processes
political scientist noun

political scientist

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a specialist in political science

Examples of political science in a Sentence

Noun (1) a degree in political science
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said Trump’s policies are accelerating Canada’s efforts to strengthen ties beyond the United States. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego, was not aware of the group, but said using a voter guide ahead of an election is a common practice. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Michael McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida who runs the Election Lab, stresses to TIME that early voting data cannot in and of itself be relied on to predict the outcome of the elections. — Connor Greene, Time, 27 Oct. 2026 At UConn, Werstler earned a political science and communications degree in 2022, then worked as a lobbyist for Rome, Smith Lutz & Kowalski, a government relations firm. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for political science

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1606, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of political science was in 1606

Rhymes for political science

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Browse Nearby Words

political rights
political science
political scientist
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Cite this Entry

“Political science.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political%20science. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

political science

noun
: the study of government and politics
political scientist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on political science

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about political science

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