politic

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English politik,^[2][3] borrowed from Middle French politique and directly borrowed from Latin polīticus (“of citizens or the state, civic”),^[4][5][6] from Ancient Greek πολιτικός (politikós, “belonging to the state, relating to citizens”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”), from πόλις (pólis, “city, state”).^[4][3][7][2] The French adjective already had the senses "judicious" and "prudent" in the second half of the 14th century, and post-classical Latin had "judicious, prudent" from about 1345.^[4] The American Heritage Dictionary refers the Greek noun to Proto-Indo-European *pelə-,^[3] and Etymonline to Proto-Indo-European *tpolh- (“citadel”).^[6] The Middle English noun is taken by the MED from Old French politique and Medieval Latin polītica.^[8] The verb is a new formation in English: the OED derives it from the adjective, partly after politicking,^[4] the Shorter Oxford from the adjective or from politics,^[9] and Etymonline and Barnhart call it a back-formation.^[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Relating to public affairs or the state, political: 1427, in the proceedings of the Privy Council, spelled pollitique.^[4][5] Etymonline likewise has the early 15th century,^[6] and Merriam-Webster's Unabridged the 15th century.^[10]

Semantic evolution

The public sense is the older in the records,^[4][5] and Fortescue (before 1475) used it specifically of a constitutional state, as opposed to a despotic one.^[4] The sense "judicious, expedient" follows about 1430, in Lydgate, and "prudent, shrewd" of a person in his Fall of Princes, probably before 1439;^[4] Etymonline notes that it was at first said of rulers.^[6] The derogatory "scheming, crafty" appears probably in 1543, in Coverdale.^[4] Political, recorded from 1551, then took over the public sense,^[5][6][11] which survives now only in body politic.^[4][6][11] As a noun it first meant the political state of a country, or the art of government, from 1429,^[4][8][12] then a worldly-wise temporizer, especially in religion, from 1533, in More,^[4] and a politician from 1559.^[4] The verb is first recorded in 1892, in the New York Times, according to the OED,^[4] though Etymonline and Barnhart date it to 1917.^[6][5] US slang has also used it for lying and for talking instead of acting.^[13]

Timeline

• 1427 – adjective, political, relating to public affairs.^[4][5]
• 1429 – noun, the political condition of a country; the art of government (obsolete by 1475).^[4][8]
• c. 1430 – of an action, judicious, expedient.^[4]
• before 1439 – of a person, prudent, shrewd.^[4] Barnhart dates politik, prudent, to 1436.^[5]
• before 1475 – of a state, constitutional (obsolete).^[4]
• 1533 – noun, a temporizer, a worldly-wise person (obsolete by 1633).^[4]
• c. 1537 – politic body, the body politic.^[4]
• 1543 – derogatory, scheming, crafty.^[4]
• 1559 – noun, a politician.^[4]
• 1588 – noun, policy, politics.^[4]
• 1892 – verb, to engage in political activity, to campaign.^[4] Etymonline and Barnhart date the verb to 1917.^[6][5]
• 1966 – verb, to influence politically, to lobby.^[4]
• 1997 – US campus slang, to lie.^[13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a person, shrewd and prudent, especially in dealing with others: a politic old diplomat.^[14][10][4]
2. Of an action, sensible or expedient in the circumstances: It seemed politic to leave before the vote.^[10][4]
3. Scheming, crafty: a politic schemer.^[14][4]
4. (archaic) Political; now only in body politic.^[14][10][4]

Noun

1. (archaic) A politician.^[10][4]
2. (obsolete) Policy.^[10][4]
3. (obsolete, 1533–1633) A person more concerned with worldly affairs than with religion; a temporizer.^[10][4]

Verb

1. To engage in political activity, especially to win votes or strike bargains; to campaign.^[4][9][6][5] Also spelled politick, with politicked and politicking.^[6][5]
2. To influence politically; to lobby.^[4]
3. (US, slang) To lie; also, to talk when others would rather act.^[13]

Word family

• politicly
• unpolitic

Related words

• body politic
• police
• policy
• political
• politician
• politicize
• politics
• polity
• polis

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
3. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
9. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
11. ^ a b Weekley, Ernest (1921), An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, London: John Murray
12. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
13. ^ a b c Green, Jonathon (2010), Green's Dictionary of Slang, London: Chambers; digital ed. 2016–, https://greensdictofslang.com
14. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins