Politician Definition, Examples, and Usage Tips

Meaning 1：elected representative (politician)

politician 🔊

/ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃən/

A person who works in government, often elected, and is involved in making or carrying out laws and policies.

Politician giving a speech at a podium with national flag

elected representative 🔊

➕

/ɪˈlɛktɪd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv/

A person who works in government, often elected, and is involved in making or carrying out laws and policies.

📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'politikos' (of citizens) + suffix '-ian' (person).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'polis' (city) and 'tician' (person) – a person who manages a city.

📖 Example

The local politician visited our community center to talk about plans for improving the public park. 🔊 The local politician visited our community center to discuss plans for improving the public park.

🔗 Collocations

career politician – A person who has spent most of their professional life in politics.

seasoned politician – An experienced and skilled politician.

corrupt politician – A politician who engages in dishonest or unethical behavior.

🔄 Synonyms

statesman (n.) – An experienced and respected political leader, often with a positive connotation.

legislator (n.) – A person who makes or enacts laws, especially a member of a legislative body.

lawmaker (n.) – A person who makes laws, similar to legislator.

🚫 Antonyms

private citizen (n.) – An ordinary person not holding any public office or government position.

voter (n.) – A person who votes in elections but does not hold office.

apolitical person (n.) – A person not interested or involved in politics.

🌱 Derivatives

political (adj.) – Relating to the government or public affairs of a country.

politics (n.) – The activities associated with governing a country or area.

politicize (v.) – To make something political or to cause it to become an issue of politics.

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Greek 'polis' (city-state). In ancient Athens, citizens involved in public affairs were considered politicians. The term evolved to describe elected officials in democratic governments.