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 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 Even worse, Grant warned, the literal body politic of the United States was now being threatened by race defilement, especially given the influx of new arrivals from southern and eastern Europe since the 1890s. Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for body politic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'body politic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near body politic

Cite this Entry

“Body politic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20politic. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

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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