body politic

noun

1
: a group of persons politically organized under a single governmental authority
2
3
: a people considered as a collective unit

Examples of body politic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The swift unveiling of these executive orders contributed to uncertainty among various constituencies of body politic. Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 In the nineteenth century, U.S. expansion into the Caribbean and Latin America was blocked by widespread public and elite opposition to bringing more Black, Hispanic, and Catholic people into the U.S. body politic. Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2024 As Taylor observes, Darwin’s book and the influence of his ideas went hand in hand with changes in the social and body politic in Britain. Brenda Wineapple, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2024 The next president will need the support and help of the U.S. body politic, the American people, and our allies to carry the burden of Western democracy forward, sustain and boost deterrence, and avoid a major global conflict. Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for body politic

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of body politic was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Body politic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20politic. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Legal Definition

body politic

noun
body pol·​i·​tic
-ˈpä-lə-tik
plural bodies politic
: a group of individuals organized under a single governmental authority
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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