#737b. Politics. [contention for governmental authority or influence].
-- N. politics; political science; candidacy, campaign, campaigning, electioneering; partisanship, ideology, factionalism.
election, poll, ballot, vote, referendum, recall, initiative, voice, suffrage, plumper, c.u.mulative vote, plebiscitum[Lat], plebiscite, vox populi; electioneering; voting &c. v.; elective franchise; straight ticket [U.S.]; opinion poll, popularity poll.
issue; opinion, stand, position; program, platform; party line.
[ideologies] democracy, republicanism; communism, statism, state socialism; socialism; conservatism, toryism; liberalism, whigism; theocracy; const.i.tutional monarchy.
[political parties] party &c. 712; Democratic Party[U.S: list], Republican Party, Socialist Party, Communist Party; Federalist Party[U.S.
defunct parties: list], Bull Moose Party, Abolitionist Party; Christian Democratic Party[Germany: list], Social Democratic Party; National Socialist Worker"s Party[Germany, 1930-1945], n.a.z.i Party; Liberal Party[Great Britain:list], Labor Party, Conservative Party.
ticket, slate.
[person active in politics] politician[general], activist; candidate[specific politicians: list], aspirant, hopeful, office-seeker, front-runner, dark horse, long shot, shoo-in; supporter, backer, political worker, campaign worker; lobbyist, contributor; party hack, ward heeler; regional candidate, favorite son; running mate, stalking horse; perpetual candidate, political animal.
political contribution, campaign contribution; political action committee, PAC.
political district, electoral division, electoral district, bailiwick.
electorate, const.i.tuents.
get-out-the-vote campaign, political education.
negative campaigning, dirty politics, smear campaign.
[unsuccessful candidate] also-ran, loser; has-been.
[successful candidate] office holder, official, occupant of a position; public servant, inc.u.mbent; winner.
V. run for office, stand for office; campaign, stump; throw one"s hat in the ring; announce one"s candidacy.
Adj. political, partisan.
Phr. "Money is the mother"s milk of politics" [Tip O"Neill].
#738. [Absence of authority] Laxity.-- N. laxity; laxness, looseness, slackness; toleration &c. (lenity) 740; freedom &c. 748.
anarchy, interregnum; relaxation; loosening &c. v.; remission; dead letter, brutum fulmen[Lat], misrule; license, licentiousness; insubordination &c. (disobedience) 742; lynch law &c. (illegality) 964; nihilism, reign of violence.
[Deprivation of power] dethronement, deposition, usurpation, abdication.
V. be -lax &c. adj.; laisser faire[Fr], laisser aller[Fr]; hold a loose rein; give the reins to, give rope enough, give a loose to; tolerate; relax; misrule.
go beyond the length of one"s tether; have one"s swing, have one"s fling; act without instructions, act without authority, act outside of one"s authority; act on one"s own responsibility, usurp authority.
dethrone, depose; abdicate.
Adj. lax, loose; slack; remiss &c. (careless) 460; weak.
relaxed; licensed; reinless[obs3], unbridled; anarchical; unauthorized &c. (unwarranted) 925; adespotic[obs3].
#739. Severity.-- N. severity; strictness, harshness &c. adj.; rigor, stringency, austerity; inclemency &c. (pitilessness) 914a; arrogance &c.
885; precisianism[obs3].
arbitrary power; absolutism, despotism; dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression; a.s.sumption, usurpation; inquisition, reign of terror, martial law; iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway; tight grasp; brute force, brute strength; coercion &c. 744; strong hand, tight hand.
hard lines, hard measure; tender mercies [ironical]; sharp practice; pipe-clay, officialism.
tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian[obs3], martinet, stickler, bashaw[obs3], despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture; accipitres[obs3], birds of prey, raptorials[obs3], raptors[obs3].
V. be -severe &c. adj.
a.s.sume, usurp, arrogate, take liberties; domineer, bully &c. 885; tyrannize, inflict, wreak, stretch a point, put on the screw; be hard upon; bear a heavy hand on, lay a heavy hand on; be down upon, come down upon; ill treat; deal hardly with, deal hard measure to; rule with a rod of iron, chastise with scorpions; dye with blood; oppress, override; trample under foot; tread under foot, tread upon, trample upon, tread down upon, trample down upon; crush under an iron heel, ride roughshod over; rivet the yoke; hold a tight hand, keep a tight hand; force down the throat; coerce &c.
744; give no quarter &c. (pitiless) 914a.
Adj. severe; strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant[obs3], inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-sh.e.l.l [U.S.], relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron- handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative; coercive &c.
744; tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial; inclement &c. (ruthless) 914a; cruel &c. (malevolent) 907; haughty, arrogant &c. 885; precisian[obs3].
Adv. severely &c. adj.; with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand.
at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet.
Phr. Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi[Lat]; manu forti[Lat]; ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno[It].
#740. Lenity.-- N. lenity, lenience, leniency; moderation &c. 174; tolerance, toleration; mildness, gentleness; favor, indulgence, indulgency[obs3]; clemency, mercy, forbearance, quarter; compa.s.sion &c.
914.
V. be -lenient &c. adj.; tolerate, bear with; parcere subjectis[Lat], give quarter.
indulge, allow one to have his own way, spoil.
Adj. lenient; mild, mild as milk; gentle, soft; tolerant, indulgent, easy-going; clement &c. (compa.s.sionate) 914; forbearing; long-suffering.
#741. Command.-- N. command, order, ordinance, act, fiat, hukm[obs3], bidding, dictum, hest[obs3], behest, call, beck, nod.
despatch, dispatch; message, direction, injunction, charge, instructions; appointment, fixture.
demand, exaction, imposition, requisition, claim, reclamation, revendication[obs3]; ultimatum &c. (terms) 770; request &c. 765; requirement.
dictation; dictate, mandate; caveat, decree, senatus consultum[Lat]; precept; prescript, rescript; writ, ordination, bull, ex cathedra p.r.o.nouncement[Lat], edict, decretal[obs3], dispensation, prescription, brevet, placit[obs3], ukase, ukaz [Russian], firman, hatti-sherif[obs3], warrant, pa.s.sport, mittimus[[email protected]], mandamus, summons, subpoena, nisi prius[Lat], interpellation, citation; word, word of command; mot d"ordre[Fr]; bugle call, trumpet call; beat of drum, tattoo; order of the day; enactment &c. (law) 963; plebiscite &c. (choice) 609.
V. command, order, decree, enact, ordain, dictate, direct, give orders.
prescribe, set, appoint, mark out; set a task, prescribe a task, impose a task; set to work, put in requisition.
bid, enjoin, charge, call upon, instruct; require at the hands of; exact, impose, tax, task; demand; insist on &c. (compel) 744.
claim, lay claim to, revendicate[obs3], reclaim.
cite, summon; call for, send for; subpoena; beckon.
issue a command; make a requisition, issue a requisition, promulgate a requisition, make a decree, issue a decree, promulgate a decree, make an order, issue an order, promulgate an order &c. n.; give the word of command, give the word, give the signal; call to order; give the law, lay down the law; a.s.sume the command &c. (authority) 737; remand.
be -ordered &c.; receive an order &c. n.
Adj. commanding &c. v.; authoritative &c. 737; decretory[obs3], decretive[obs3], decretal[obs3]; callable, jussive[obs3].
Adv. in a commanding tone; by a stroke of the pen, by a dash of the pen; by order, at beat of drum, on the first summons.
Phr. the decree is gone forth; sic volo sic jubeo[Lat]; le Roi le veut[Fr]; boutez en avant[Fr].
#742. Disobedience.-- N. disobedience, insubordination, contumacy; infraction, infringement; violation, noncompliance; non.o.bservance &c. 773.
revolt, rebellion, mutiny, outbreak, rising, uprising, insurrection, emeute[Fr]; riot, tumult &c. (disorder) 59; strike &c.(resistance) 719; barring out; defiance &c. 715.
mutinousness &c. adj.; mutineering[obs3]; sedition, treason; high treason, petty treason, misprision of treason; premunire[Lat]; lese majeste[Fr]; violation of law &c. 964; defection, secession.
insurgent, mutineer, rebel, revolter, revolutionary, rioter, traitor, quisling, carbonaro[obs3], sansculottes[Fr], red republican, bonnet rouge, communist, Fenian, frondeur; seceder, secessionist, runagate, renegade, brawler, anarchist, demagogue; Spartacus, Masaniello, Wat Tyler, Jack Cade; ringleader.
V. disobey, violate, infringe; shirk; set at defiance &c. (defy) 715; set authority at naught, run riot, fly in the face of; take the law into one"s own hands; kick over the traces.
turn restive, run restive; champ the bit; strike &c. (resist) 719; rise, rise in arms; secede; mutiny, rebel.
Adj. disobedient; uncomplying, uncompliant; unsubmissive[obs3], unruly, ungovernable; breachy[obs3], insubordinate, impatient of control, incorrigible; restiff|, restive; refractory, contumacious, recusant &c.
(refuse) 764; recalcitrant; resisting &c. 719; lawless, mutinous, seditions, insurgent, riotous.
un.o.beyed[obs3]; unbidden.
Phr. seditiosissimus quisque ignavus [Lat][Tacitus]; "unthread the rude eye of rebellion" [King John].
#743. Obedience.-- N. obedience; observance &c. 772; compliance; submission &c. 725; subjection &c. 749; nonresistance; pa.s.siveness, resignation.
allegiance, loyalty, fealty, homage, deference, devotion; constancy, fidelity.
submissness[obs3], submissiveness; ductility &c. (softness) 324; obsequiousness &c. (servility) 886.
V. be -obedient &c. adj.; obey, bear obedience to; submit &c. 725; comply, answer the helm, come at one"s call; do one"s bidding, do what one is told, do suit and service; attend to orders, serve faithfully.
follow the lead of, follow to the world"s end; serve &c. 746; play second fiddle.
Adj. obedient; complying, compliant; loyal, faithful, devoted; at one"s call, at one"s command, at one"s orders, at one"s beck and call; under beck and call, under control.
restrainable; resigned, pa.s.sive; submissive &c. 725; henpecked; pliant &c. (soft) 324.
unresisted[obs3].
Adv. obediently &c. adj.; in compliance with, in obedience to.
Phr. to hear is to obey; as you please, if you please; your wish is my command; as you wish; no sooner said than done.
#744. Compulsion.-- N. compulsion, coercion, coaction[obs3], constraint, duress, enforcement, press, conscription.
force; brute force, main force, physical force; the sword, ultima ratio[Lat]; club law, lynch law, mob law, arguementum baculinum[obs3], le droit du plus fort[Fr], martial law.
restraint &c. 751; necessity &c. 601; force majeure[Fr]; Hobson"s choice.
V. compel, force, make, drive, coerce, constrain, enforce, necessitate, oblige.
force upon, press; cram down the throat, thrust down the throat, force down the throat; say it must be done, make a point of, insist upon, take no denial; put down, dragoon.
extort, wring from; squeeze, put on the squeeze; put on the screws, turn on the screw; drag into; bind, bind over; pin down, tie down; require, tax, put in force; commandeer; restrain &c. 751.
Adj. compelling &c. v.; coercive, coactive[obs3]; inexorable &c. 739; compulsory, compulsatory[obs3]; obligatory, stringent, peremptory.