1
a
: of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of government
b
: of, relating to, or concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of governmental policy
2
: of, relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics
3
: organized in governmental terms
political units
4
: involving or charged or concerned with acts against a government or a political system
political prisoners

Examples of political in a Sentence

The senator has changed political parties. Health care has become a major political issue in recent years. a group of political activists We need a political solution rather than a military solution.
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.
Early in the cycle, Democrats were considered underdogs to retake the Senate, but that sentiment has shifted dramatically in their favor due to a deteriorating political environment for Republicans worsened by the war in Iran. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026 At least 15 of the 53 donors who gave money this month had no history of state-level political contributions, and many more hadn’t cut checks in at least a decade. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Unsurprisingly given Greaves’ role as a provocateur, Dead Deities is a political project as much as an artistic one. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026 The students also demanded changes in the judiciary and urgent investigations in top-level corruption cases that might have been sidelined due to political pressure under Vucic. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for political

Word History

Etymology

politic or its source, Latin polīticus "of civil government, political" + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of political was in 1529

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Political.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

political

adjective
1
: of or relating to a government or the conduct of government
2
: of or relating to politics
3
: organized in governmental terms
political units
4
: involving, concerned with, or accused of acts against a government or political system
political prisoners
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