Meaning & use
office politics
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Meanings
noununcountabledisapproving
the use of influence, flattery, or secret deals to gain advantage among colleagues at work
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'office politics is', not 'are'. Used with a singular verb.
Patterns
- play office politics
- get involved in office politics
- office politics at something
She avoids office politics and just does her job.
Office politics can make a simple decision take weeks.
He lost the promotion because of office politics, not ability.
noununcountable
the informal power relationships and rivalries that exist in a workplace
Grammar: Often used after 'the': the office politics in this department.
Patterns
- the office politics of something
- internal office politics
The office politics here changed completely after the new manager arrived.
Understanding the office politics is part of settling into a new team.
Common combinations
- play office politics
- He plays office politics better than anyone I know.
- get involved in office politics
- I try not to get involved in office politics.
- internal office politics
- Internal office politics delayed the project.
- the office politics of a place
- She quickly learned the office politics of the company.
Synonyms and how they differ
- workplace politics
- A neutral alternative; 'office politics' often sounds slightly disapproving.
- company politics
- Similar, but emphasizes the whole company rather than one office.
Word family
- office noun
- A room or building where people work at desks.
- politicking noun
- The activity of trying to gain power or influence, often in a disapproving way.
Commonly confused: office politics or office policy?
office politics vs office policy
Office policy means official rules; office politics means informal power struggles.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'office politics' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Office politics' is uncountable and means informal power relationships, so 'She is good at office politics' fits. Option An is wrong because 'office politics' takes a singular verb and is not written rules; C confuses it with 'office policy'; D confuses it with a school subject.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “office politics”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.