# office politics

CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/office-politics
Updated: 2026-07-28

## Definition

the way people in a workplace use their power or influence to get an advantage for themselves. It often involves secret plans or trying to please the right people rather than just doing good work.

For teachers: the activities and competitive behaviours used to gain status or advantage within a professional environment. Often carries negative connotations of manipulation or favouritism in contrast to objective professional achievement.

## Examples

- She tries to avoid office politics by focusing only on her tasks.
- Navigating office politics can be just as important as technical skill when you want to get a promotion.
- In many large corporations, the prevalence of office politics can stifle innovation by rewarding loyalty to powerful individuals rather than the quality of new ideas.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Office politics are very stressful." but "Office politics is very stressful." — Like the word 'politics' itself, this term is treated as an uncountable singular noun.

## Usage notes

- Always used with a singular verb ('office politics is'), despite the plural appearance of 'politics'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.