politician
UK[ˌpɒl.ɪˈtɪʃ.ən]US[ˌpɑː.ləˈtɪʃ.ən]
n
a person whose job involves holding office or acting in the political arena, especially as an elected member of a government.
n
a person who acts in a manipulative or scheming way, typically to gain advancement.
Morpheme Breakdown
polit
ician
polit
city, state
ician
expert, practitioner
Etymology
the word 'politician' has its conceptual roots in ancient greek society, where the 'polis' (city-state) was the fundamental unit of political life. the greek term 'politikos' referred to matters concerning citizens and the state. this passed into latin as 'politicus' and later into english, initially describing anything related to public administration. the suffix '-ician', entering english through french, specializes the term to denote a professional practitioner. thus, the literal construction "expert in the affairs of the state" evolved from its concrete civic origins to its modern dual meaning: a professional in government and, often pejoratively, a crafty strategist in power dynamics.
Analysis
Structure: polit (city, state) + ician (expert, practitioner)
polit originates from greek 'polis' (city, state), via latin 'politicus'. ician is a suffix of french origin (from latin '-icianus'), denoting a person skilled in or concerned with a particular field.
Examples
the young politician campaigned on a platform of education reform.
he was more of a shrewd politician than a principled statesman.
many voters have become cynical about promises made by politicians.