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Etymology and origin of the English word politics

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1475 before 1475, Scrope's translation of the Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek πόλις

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈpɒl.ɪ.tɪks/, /ˈpɒl.ə.tɪks/[1]
  • US: /ˈpɑ.lɪ.tɪks/, /ˈpɑ.lə.tɪks/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English politic + -s,[2][3] on the model of Middle French politiques (“public affairs, government”), also the title of Aristotle's treatise, and of Medieval Latin politica, ultimately Ancient Greek τὰ πολιτικά (tà politiká, “public matters, affairs of state”).[3][4][5] Merriam-Webster takes the word as probably an alteration of the Greek phrase, influenced by -ics.[6] The noun it is formed from meant the political state of a country, from the early 15th century,[4] and comes from the adjective, which is from Old French politique (“political”) and directly from Latin polīticus (“of citizens or the state, civil”), from Ancient Greek πολιτικός (polītikós, “of the city or state, civil, political”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”), from πόλις (pólis, “city, state”).[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A treatise on government, especially Aristotle's Politics: before 1475, in Scrope's translation of the Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers.[3][2] Etymonline notes that Aristotle's book was known in English from the mid-15th century as Polettiques or Polytykys.[4]

Semantic evolution

The sense "the science or study of government" follows in Skelton's Colyn Cloute (before 1529);[3][6] Etymonline dates it to the 1520s.[4] From 1616 the word also meant the activities and policies of government;[3] from 1680 it also meant public life as a sphere or profession.[3] The sense of actions aimed at gaining power or status, often disapproving, is recorded from 1650,[3] and Etymonline dates "political actions or practice" to the 1640s;[4] by 1749, in Fielding's Tom Jones, it could also mean the management of one's private affairs and position, as in later office politics.[3] A person's political views have been his or her politics since 1662,[3] although Etymonline dates this sense only to 1769.[4] Since 1874 the word has also meant the assumptions about power and status that underlie an activity or theory.[3] An older spelling was politicks, still used by Fisher Ames in 1806.[2][4]

Timeline

  • before 1475 – a treatise on government, especially Aristotle's.[3]
  • before 1529 – the science or study of government.[3][6] Etymonline dates it to the 1520s.[4]
  • 1616 – the activities and policies of government.[3]
  • 1650 – actions aimed at gaining power or status.[3]
  • 1662 – a person's political views.[3]
  • 1680 – public life as a sphere or profession.[3]
  • 1749 – the management of private affairs and status.[3]
  • 1874 – the power relations underlying an activity or theory.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The art or science of government and of directing the affairs of a state; also its study, political science.[7][6][3]
  2. Political activities or affairs: He kept out of local politics.[7][3]
  3. Politics as a profession: She went into politics after university.[7][3]
  4. Activities aimed at gaining power or status within a group, often seen as underhand: office politics.[3][7]
  5. A person's political opinions or sympathies: Nobody at the table knew his politics.[3][4]
  6. The assumptions about power and status that underlie an activity or theory.[3]
  7. Politics: a treatise on government, especially the one written by Aristotle.[3][2]

Word family

Usage notes

Politics is treated as singular or plural:[2] it takes a singular verb for the art, study or profession of government, and a plural one for political activities or affairs.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ 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 Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Ayto, John (2005), Word Origins: The Secret Histories of English Words from A to Z, 2nd ed., London: A & C Black
  6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d e Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Politics.” Etymologically, 2 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/politics. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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