Shrewd and practical in dealing with others; showing prudent judgment in managing situations tactfully.
From Greek 'politikos' meaning 'of citizens' or 'of the state,' from 'polis' (city-state). It evolved from 'relating to government' to 'shrewd political behavior' to 'tactfully wise.'
To be 'politic' used to mean relating to government and citizenship, but it evolved to mean being strategically wise—showing how words change meaning as societies understand that politics is really about the clever management of people and situations.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.