Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A politician.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A politician; hence, one whose conduct is guided by considerations of policy rather than principle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun colloquial, often derogatory A politician.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person active in party politics

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Italian or from Spanish político, both from Latin polīticus, political; see politic.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian politico, Spanish político.

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Examples

  • The point is, the politico is almost surely intentionally lowballing the number.

    Matthew Yglesias » Good News For People On Book Deadline 2007

  • I think it's more like the politico is traumatized that they are getting a response from the voters, and a big response as it is.

    America 'traumatized' by health-care debate, key Democrat says 2009

  • The Middle Eastern region itself is, by general consent, a vital one in politico-strategic terms by its position astride three continents, its control of narrow seas, and the great trunk routes used by peoples and armies throughout history (routes and sea-lanes which, incidentally link the Eastern and Western members of our own Commonwealth of Nations) and its ports and pipelines and air-fields.

    Oil, Power Politics and the Arab Awakening 1959

  • The only coincidence is the word "politico" - again, a term found in the dictionary.

    The American Pundit 2010

  • There are a lot of definitions that fit, but here’s one that seems to work well: A politico is a participant in and/or an especially avid devotee of the theater of politics.

    POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Friday, July 10, 2009 2009

  • Quoting politico is like using rasmussen’s surveys, both admit to leaning right.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: February 5, 2010 2010

  • Being replaced by a politico was a personal humiliation, as was learning about it from a newspaper.

    Obama’s Wars Bob Woodward 2010

  • Especially if the politico is a man; especially if the issue is sex; especially if, as Abbott freely acknowledges, he has not always lived up to his own standard; and most especially if he happens, like Abbott, to be a practising Catholic.

    BrothersJudd Blog 2010

  • Islam must be identified as a politico-religious movement intent on conquering Western institutions and installing itself as a theocratic Caliphate. attacks on freedom of speech, insistence on special treatment, attempts to establish Sharia courts, etc. - must come up against stone walls of opposition.

    Infidel Bloggers Alliance 2008

  • He's not my kind of politico, but Norman Tebbit comes across pretty well as the FT's latest lunch date.

    John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting... 2009

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