a leader engaged in civil administration
"The new politician worked tirelessly to improve local infrastructure and manage municipal budgets."
a person active in party politics
"The local politician spent his entire campaign season making promises to secure votes from both sides of the aisle."
a schemer who tries to gain advantage in an organization in sly or underhanded ways
"The new committee chair acted like a politician, quietly manipulating votes to secure his own position before anyone else noticed."
One engaged in politics, especially an elected or appointed government official.
"The local politician spent her entire campaign promising to lower taxes and improve schools."
In plain English: A politician is someone who works for their government and tries to make laws that affect people's lives.
"The local politician promised to fix the potholes on Main Street during her campaign speech."
Usage: Use this term to refer specifically to individuals holding public office rather than general political activists. It often carries a slightly negative connotation implying self-interest when used by critics of the system.
The word politician comes from combining politic with the suffix -ian. It originally referred to someone skilled in politics or government affairs before entering English usage.