politic
Definitions
(of an action) prudent, shrewd, and well-judged; tactful and diplomatic
（指做法）明智的，审慎的；圆通的，策略性的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpolit (the affairs of the city) + -ic (relating to) = originally 'skilled in running the city.' Someone good at city affairs was shrewd and tactful, so politic came to mean a wise, well-judged, diplomatic course of action.
Root polit still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
Politic is the original adjective from polit, and it shows where 'politics' got part of its cynical edge: being politic means being shrewd and tactful, knowing what move will go down well. It's almost always used of an action, not a person — 'a politic silence,' 'it would be politic to wait.' Don't confuse it with 'political' (relating to government).
Common Collocations
- 1.a politic move明智之举
- 2.a politic response圆通的回应
- 3.it would be politic to明智的做法是……
- 4.body politic政治体（body politic）
Example Sentences
- 1.
It would be politic to apologize before the meeting.
- 2.
She gave a politic answer that pleased both sides.
- 3.
He thought it politic to stay silent on the matter.
Easily Confused
politic vs political — politic (no -al) means shrewd/tactful ('a politic move'); political means relating to government ('a political party'). They look almost identical but mean completely different things.