Meaning & use
the politburo
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Meanings
nounsingular
The main decision-making committee of a communist party, especially in the former Soviet Union or China.
Grammar: Usually written with the definite article: the politburo met today.
Patterns
- the politburo of a party
- a meeting of the politburo
- the politburo decided something
The politburo met in secret to discuss the new five-year plan.
Few people outside the politburo knew what had been decided.
Historians study how the politburo shaped everyday life in the Soviet Union.
nounsingularfigurativedisapproving
A small group that controls an organization and makes all the important decisions.
Grammar: Used figuratively and often slightly critical: the politburo of the company.
Patterns
- the politburo of an organization
- a politburo of senior managers
Critics say a tiny politburo of executives runs the whole university.
The club's politburo of old friends decides everything before the members vote.
Common combinations
- the politburo met
- The politburo met behind closed doors for three days.
- a member of the politburo
- She was the first woman to become a member of the politburo.
- the politburo decided
- The politburo decided to allow limited private farming.
- the ruling politburo
- The ruling politburo rejected all calls for reform.
- a politburo meeting
- Leaked notes from the politburo meeting caused a scandal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- committee
- A general word for any group that meets to decide things; politburo is much narrower and suggests tight political control.
- leadership
- Refers to the people in charge generally, while politburo names a specific formal body.
- inner circle
- Informal and vaguer; it describes closeness to power rather than an official committee.
Word family
- Politburo proper noun
- The capitalized form used as the official name of such a body, e.g. the Politburo of the Communist Party.
Commonly confused: the politburo or politician? the politburo or bureau?
the politburo vs politician
A politician is a person who holds or seeks office; the politburo is the committee those people may belong to.
the politburo vs bureau
A bureau is an office or department; politburo comes from the same root but means a ruling committee.
Practice
Which sentence uses "the politburo" most naturally?
Choose one answer.
"The politburo" is a committee, so it can meet and approve plans. It is not a person (so not "a politburo" who works somewhere), not a vehicle or object you transport, and not a food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the politburo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.