realpolitik

noun

re·​al·​po·​li·​tik rā-ˈäl-ˌpō-li-ˌtēk How to pronounce realpolitik (audio)
often capitalized
: politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives

Examples of realpolitik in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This stroke of realpolitik would leave ByteDance in a tricky spot. Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 Lorne’s generous with telling you the black arts of it, the realpolitik of how things get made, the pragmatism. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024 Nevertheless, many in Ukraine have displayed a determined — if perhaps grim — realpolitik at the man holding the purse strings of their military rearguard action. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 The stakes couldn’t be higher and hinge on the deft balancing of realpolitik. Charlie Campbell / Yerevan, TIME, 22 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for realpolitik

Word History

Etymology

German, from real actual + Politik politics

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of realpolitik was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Realpolitik.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/realpolitik. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

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