Politicks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The art or science of governance and political affairs, often focusing on the processes of decision-making and conflict resolution
2. The study and practice of political systems, including the influence of policies on society and individual behavior
3. Engaging in activities aimed at influencing government decisions and shaping public policy, alongside managing public opinion and political strategy

Etymology: "Politicks" is simply an older spelling of "politics," and its story is really the story of a Greek city. In ancient Greece, the "pólis" was the city-state, and a "politikós" was someone concerned with the affairs of that community. Aristotle wrote a treatise titled "tà politikà" ("affairs of state"), a plural phrase that English later borrowed, first as the adjective "politic" and then, by analogy with that Greek plural, as the noun "politics." The Latin "politicus" passed into French as "politique," and English took the word from there. The final "-s" in "politics" is not a grammatical plural in the usual sense. It arose because the English noun followed the pattern of the Greek plural "tà politiká," so speakers began treating the subject as a plural noun, even though it is now usually singular in meaning, as in "politics is a messy business." The spelling "politicks," with a "k," was common in English for a long time, reflecting the Latin and Greek "c" sound, and it lingered into the 1700s before "politics" became standard.