Origin: Latin suffix -al
Political has 5 different meanings across 1 category:
A political agent or officer.
"The committee questioned every political before voting on the new budget."
In plain English: A political is someone who participates in government or tries to influence how a country is run.
"The election became a political issue for everyone in the town."
Usage: Use "political" only as an adjective to describe matters related to government or public affairs; it should never be used as a noun to refer to a politician or official. When you need a noun for a person involved in politics, use the word "politician" instead.
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
"calling a meeting is a political act in itself"
"political pressure"
"a political machine"
"political office"
"political policy"
of or relating to your views about social relationships involving authority or power
"political opinions"
Concerning or relating to politics, the art and process of governing.
"The committee spent hours debating the political implications of the new tax policy before finally reaching a consensus."
In plain English: Something political is related to how people make decisions about running a country or community.
"The political situation in the country changed after the election."
Usage: Use political to describe matters involving government, public affairs, or the exercise of power. It applies to anything that affects how a society is ruled or organized by its leaders.
The word political comes from the Latin root politic, which originally referred to things related to a state or government. It entered English with the suffix -al added to form an adjective describing matters of public policy or governance.