apolitical
UK[ˌeɪ.pəˈlɪt.ɪ.kəl]US[ˌeɪ.pəˈlɪt̬.ɪ.kəl]
adj
not interested in or connected with politics
adj
not influenced by political beliefs or considerations
Morpheme Breakdown
a
polit
ical
a
not
polit
city, state
ical
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'apolitical' is a modern English formation built from classical components. Its core, 'polit,' derives from the ancient Greek 'polis,' meaning a city-state, which was the fundamental political unit. The Greek prefix 'a-' signifies negation or absence, a direct borrowing into English scientific and formal vocabulary. The adjectival suffix '-ical' comes from Latin '-icalis,' often via French, used to form descriptive adjectives. Thus, the literal construction "not relating to the city/state" evolved into the modern abstract meaning of being disengaged from or uninfluenced by political affairs, reflecting a conscious stance of neutrality.
Analysis
Structure: a (not) + polit (city, state) + ical (adjective suffix)
a: a prefix of Greek origin, meaning "not" or "without," functioning as a negative particle.
polit: a root from Greek 'polis' (city, state), functioning as the core semantic element relating to civic life and governance.
ical: a suffix of Latin origin via French, forming adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by."
Examples
she described herself as apolitical and rarely votes in elections.
the organization strives to remain apolitical in its humanitarian work.
his apolitical stance made him an acceptable mediator for both parties.