gesture politics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: political actions or statements that are done or made chiefly as symbolic gestures and have little or no practical effect

Law and order issues are easily subject to gesture politics, to rhetoric and to simple solutions.

—Frances Heidensohn, in Social Issues and Party Politics, 1998

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!