Politically

How to spell politically

11 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce politically

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does politically mean?

1. adverbIn a way that relates to government, public affairs, or the pursuit of power.

Politically in a sentence

• The proposal was politically controversial and split the committee.

• The region has been politically unstable for decades.

Where does politically come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek polis, meaning a city or city-state, the self-governing community that was the centre of ancient Greek life. From polis came polites, meaning a citizen, and politikos, meaning 'of or relating to citizens and public affairs'. The Romans adopted this as politicus, and it passed through Old French politique into English in the late Middle Ages, where 'politic' first meant prudent or shrewd in managing public matters. The adjective 'political' was built on top of this, and the adverb 'politically' followed by adding the familiar -ly ending. The same polis root still hides inside relatives such as 'metropolis', 'police', and 'policy', and the long unstressed middle of politically (the second 'i' is barely sounded) is exactly where careful writers must remember the full -ical- before the -ly.

How the word is built

• polit- (from Greek politikos: of citizens or the state)
• -ic (adjective)
• -al (adjective)
• -ly (adverb suffix)