Politico

Politico is a term used across Romance languages and in English to denote a person involved in politics or matters relating to politics. In Italian, the word politico functions as both a noun meaning politician and an adjective meaning political. In Spanish and Portuguese, the equivalent is político, with the accent on the i, used for both noun and adjective senses. In English, politico is a loanword that appears mainly in journalism and informal speech to refer to a politician, though it is less common than politician and politics.

Etymology traces politico to Latin politicus, from Greek politikos, related to the governance of city-states and the study of public affairs. The term has circulated in Europe for centuries as a descriptor of public figures who hold or seek office, influence policy, or participate in governance. Its use can vary in tone, ranging from neutral to slightly informal or pejorative, depending on context and intent.

In contemporary usage, politico often appears in cross-linguistic discussions of politics and in biographical descriptions of public figures, where it serves as a concise marker of political role without specifying offices or parties. Distinctions between the noun politician and the broader political sphere are generally preserved in each language: a politician is a person who holds or runs for office, while politics refers to the field and practice of governance and policy-making.

Notable variants include the English proper noun Politico, the name of a prominent American political journalism organization founded in 2007, which reports on politics, policy, and public affairs. See also politician, politics, political science.