SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
politic
adjective
Prudent and tactful in handling a situation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Prudent and tactful
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPolitic concerns what is wise or tactful in the circumstances. Expedient can suggest practical advantage without moral approval; political is a different adjective.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See politic in use
It seemed politic to postpone the vote until everyone had spoken.
As the schedule discussion continued, one editor became combative, treating each suggestion as an invitation to argue. Another was captious, repeatedly objecting to tiny formatting choices that did not affect when any work would happen. The chair judged it politic to acknowledge their interest before asking each to identify one change that would improve the schedule.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license