politics

politics
\ \ [16] Politics is etymologically the art of ‘civil administration’. It is an English rendering of Greek polītikáaffairs of state’. Greek polītikósof the city or state, civil, political’ was a derivative of polítēscitizen’, which in turn came from póliscity, state’ (source also of English police and policy and related to Sanskrit pūrstronghold, fortified place’). It passed into English via Latin polīticus and Old French politique as politic [15], which originally meant ‘political’ as well as ‘judicious’ (political was coined in the 16th century).
\ \ Cf.COSMOPOLITAN, METROPOLIS, POLICE, POLICY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • politics — is treated as a singular noun when it means ‘the art or science or business of government’ (Politics is a popular subject at many universities / one example of how Scottish politics has lost the faith of the people it is meant to serve) and… …   Modern English usage

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  • politics — [päl′ə tiks] pl.n. [ POLIT(IC) + ICS] [with sing. or pl. v.] 1. the science and art of political government; political science 2. political affairs 3. the conducting of or participation in political affairs, often as a profession 4. political… …   English World dictionary

  • politics — (n.) 1520s, science of government, from POLITIC (Cf. politic) (adj.), modeled on Aristotle s ta politika affairs of state, the name of his book on governing and governments, which was in English mid 15c. as Polettiques. Also see ICS (Cf. ics).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • politics — [n] art and science of administration of government affairs of state, backroom*, campaigning, civics, domestic affairs, electioneering, foreign affairs, government, government policy, hat in the ring*, internal affairs, jungle*, legislature,… …   New thesaurus

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