The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
Source: tatoeba (1936)
Political
/pəˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl/
Synonyms for "political" (121 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (25)
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (36)
Adjective(13 words)
geopolitical unitgoverning authority policygovernmentalgovernmental agencygovernmental levelgovernmental reformsideologicalideological campaignideological clashideological stanceideological termmayoral candidatemesopotamian city-states
Related words (60)
Determiner(1 words)
most political policy
Adverb(1 words)
most political revolution
Noun(11 words)
mppacparty meetingparty propaganda sculpturepolitical ideologypolitical process activitypolitical reportstate formstate propaganda posterstransvaalwashingtonian
Adjective(15 words)
papalpartisanpersuasivepolitical advertisementpolitical art discoursepolitical art installationpolitical artistpolitical artspolitical characterpolitical commentary artpolitical history conceptpoliticized topicportuguese políticarussian politikasocietal policies
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: absolute, administrative, aristocratic, authoritarian, autocratic.
- Sentence evidence is available for political, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wiktionary, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "political".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "political"
Keep "political" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "political" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "political", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "political" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
8 entriescampaign eventcampaign sloganconstitutional amendmentelectiongovernment policylegislationparty platformpolitical advertisement
Collocations
6 entriespolitical campaignpolitical ideologypolitical mappolitical partypolitical sciencepolitical system
Inflections
2 entriesmore politicalmost political
Derivations
5 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
3 entriesSample sentences
17 total sentences available.
Communism was the political system in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but that stopped in 1993.
Source: tatoeba (19259)
Corporate political donations are coming under heavy scrutiny.
Source: tatoeba (20736)
Foreign investors backed off because of regional political unrest.
Source: tatoeba (21892)
Showing 4 of 17 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "political"?
Closest matches include absolute, administrative, aristocratic, authoritarian, autocratic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "political"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.