51Թ

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View synonyms for

politician

[pol-i-tish-uhn]

noun

  1. a person who is active in party politics.

  2. a seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles.

  3. a person who holds a political office.

  4. a person skilled in political government or administration; statesman or stateswoman.

  5. an expert in politics or political government.

  6. a person who seeks to gain power or advancement within an organization in ways that are generally disapproved.



politician

/ ˌɒɪˈɪʃə /

noun

  1. a person actively engaged in politics, esp a full-time professional member of a deliberative assembly

  2. a person who is experienced or skilled in the art or science of politics, government, or administration; statesman

  3. derogatorya person who engages in politics out of a wish for personal gain, as realized by holding a public office

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • nonpolitician noun
  • self-politician noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of politician1

From the French word politicien, dating back to 1580–90. See politic, -ian
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Synonym Study

Politician, statesman refer to one skilled in politics. These terms differ particularly in their connotations; politician is more often derogatory, and statesman laudatory. Politician suggests the schemes and devices of a person who engages in (especially small) politics for party ends or for one's own advantage: a dishonest politician. Statesman suggests the eminent ability, foresight, and unselfish patriotic devotion of a person dealing with (especially important or great) affairs of state: a distinguished statesman.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

And we can probably expect more violence, including the kind we saw this weekend in Minneapolis, when a far right extremist assassinated a Democratic politician and her husband, and wounded two others.

From

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd has accused other politicians of shutting him down over calls for a Wales-wide inquiry into grooming gangs.

From

Violence against local politicians and those running for office in Mexico has been on the rise in recent years, spiking in the run-up to last year's general election.

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Police recovered a list of around 70 potential targets, including politicians, community leaders and abortion providers.

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The attacks left one politician dead and the other seriously injured.

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When To Use

What doespolitician mean?

A politician is a person who holds or is seeking political office as an elected government official.The word is most commonly used in the context of politicians campaigning, giving speeches, and promoting themselves, as opposed to the activities that they do as part of being a government official—voting, debating issues, and working to find solutions to problems (in which case a politician might be called a representative or officeholder—or a legislator or lawmaker, if they work in a lawmaking capacity).The word politician is often used in a negative way. That’s because being a politician is often associated with attempting to be likeable to the largest possible group of people (voters) in order to get elected and gain influence—and perhaps doing so for one’s own benefit, instead of the public.Politicians are often affiliated with political parties and associated with party politics, which involve the strict adherence to the policies and principles of a political party, regardless of the public interest, often resulting in partisanship.The word politician is also commonly used in a figurative way to refer to a person who’s particularly skilled at navigating the politics—the activities involving gaining and maintaining power and influence—of a certain situation, such as the workplace. Calling someone a politician in this way usually implies that they are good at building support, especially with the goal of helping them to further some agenda or boost or maintain their power in that setting. However, it also usually implies that such a person is at least somewhat dishonest or fake (like many real politicians are often accused of being). The word is often applied in this way to someone who tells people what they want to hear in order to gain power or influence.When someone says that an elected official is “not a politician” (even though they obviously are in the literal sense), they usually mean that that person is exactly as they seem—they’re not presenting an artificial public persona.Example: We need to demand more substance from our politicians, who should be focusing on the real issues instead of scoring political points with their supporters.

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political systempoliticize