Thursday, 30 October 2014

Realpolitik

Word of the Day for Thursday 30th October 2014


Realpolitik \rey-AHL-poh-li-teek, ree-\
Noun
1. Political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals.
Quotes
Alas, when one advances blindly across the boggy ground of realpolitik, when pragmatism takes up the baton and conducts the orchestra, ignoring what is written in the score, you can be pretty sure that, as the imperative logic of dishonour will show, there are still, after all, a few more steps to descend.
-- José Saramago, Death with Interruptions, 2005
Origin
Realpolitik comes directly from the German word of the same spelling which means "politics of realism." It emerged in English in the 1910’s.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com

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