Phrase guide

ostrich politics

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A style of politics that evades rather than addresses problems; ostrichism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From ostrich + politics, calque of German Vogel-Strauß-Politik. Named after the common misconception that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when confronted with danger. First attested in the late 19th century.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: volstruispolitiek — evasive style of politics
  • Dutch: struisvogelpolitiek — evasive style of politics
  • Finnish: strutsipolitiikka — evasive style of politics
  • French: politique de l'autruche — evasive style of politics
  • West-Frisian: strúsfûgelpolityk — evasive style of politics
  • German: Vogel-Strauß-Politik — evasive style of politics
  • Hungarian: struccpolitika — evasive style of politics
  • Polish: strusia polityka — evasive style of politics
  • Portuguese: política de avestruz — evasive style of politics
  • Russian: страуси́ная поли́тика (strausínaja polítika) — evasive style of politics
  • Spanish: política de avestruz — evasive style of politics
  • Swedish: strutspolitik — evasive style of politics