social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
"office politics is often counterproductive"
the study of government of states and other political units
"After years of working in politics, she finally decided to run for office herself."
the profession devoted to governing and to political affairs
"She decided to leave her corporate job to enter politics after years of volunteering for local candidates."
the opinion you hold with respect to political questions
"When we discuss politics, it's important to remember that everyone holds different opinions on what should happen in government."
the activities and affairs involved in managing a state or a government
"unemployment dominated the politics of the inter-war years"
"government agencies multiplied beyond the control of representative politics"
A methodology and activities associated with running a government, an organization, or a movement.
"The new volunteer coordinator spent her weekends organizing local politics to ensure our community center had the best possible leadership."
In plain English: Politics is the way people make decisions about how to run their community and share resources.
"Everyone in the family gathered to discuss politics over dinner."
Usage: Politics refers to the activities involved in acquiring and maintaining power within a government, organization, or group. Use this term when discussing how decisions are made, laws are passed, or groups compete for influence rather than specific policy details.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of politic
"The politician argues that it is more politic to negotiate now than to wait for a worse outcome later."
In plain English: To politics as a verb means to try to influence someone's decisions by appealing to their emotions or interests rather than using facts.
"After years of arguing, they finally decided to put their differences aside and stop playing politics with each other's careers."
Usage: The word "politics" is not used as a verb in modern English; it is exclusively a noun referring to government activities or strategies. If you need a verb form related to acting wisely or with forethought, use the third-person singular "politicizes" only when discussing making something political, but be aware that standard usage favors the noun "politics" for all such contexts.
The word politics comes from the English adjective politic, which was modeled after Aristotle's Greek phrase for "affairs of state." It entered modern usage to describe the system of government and public affairs.