Pólitísk

Pólitísk is an Icelandic adjective meaning political. It describes matters related to government, policy, public affairs, and civic life. The word is used to characterize topics, debates, institutions, movements, and actors connected with politics. Common phrases include pólitísk umræðan (the political discourse), pólitísk hreyfing (a political movement) and pólitísk ákvörðun (a political decision).

Etymology and form: The term derives from pólitík, meaning politics, and is formed with the suffix -ísk. It is an adjective and, like other Icelandic adjectives, inflects for gender, number and case, so the form can vary. In practice, the base form pólitísk is widely used before common nouns.

Usage and nuance: Pólitísk is a neutral descriptive term in journalism, academia and everyday language to indicate a political dimension. It can describe people, organizations, ideas, events or policies. The word sits alongside related terms such as stjórnmál, which refers to politics as a field, and other context-dependent expressions that specify the political aspect of a subject.