A politician is a person who is active in politics, especially someone elected or trying to be elected to a government position. They help make decisions and laws that affect a city, region, or country.
From *politic* plus *-ian*, influenced by French *politicien*. *Politic* comes from Greek *politikos* “of citizens or the state,” from *polis* “city.” So a politician is literally a “city/state person.”
The root idea of *politician* is simply “someone of the city,” not automatically corrupt or noble. The negative tone the word often has today shows how public trust can reshape the emotional color of a neutral term.
The term 'politician' historically referred mostly to men, as women were excluded from voting, office-holding, and formal political life in many societies. Even after legal barriers fell, media coverage often treated male politicians as the norm and focused on women politicians’ appearance or family roles.
Use 'politician' in a gender-neutral way and avoid defaulting to 'he' when speaking generically. When describing politicians, apply similar criteria across genders—for example, focusing on policies rather than appearance.
["elected official","public officeholder"]
Women and gender-diverse politicians have expanded democratic representation and brought attention to issues such as care work, gender-based violence, and equality laws.
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