Standard Lemma guide

statecraft

noun · 2 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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  • CMU ARPABET: S T EY1 T K R AE2 F T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Synonym of statesmanship (“the ability to guide a state well”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: statesmanship

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

wisdom in the management of public affairs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: statesmanship, diplomacy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wisdom, wiseness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *steh2- Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Indo-European *stéh2-tu-s ~ *sth2-téw-s Proto-Italic *status Latin statuslbor. Old French estatbor. Middle English stat English state Proto-Germanic *krafjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *kraftuz Proto-West Germanic *kraftu Old English cræft Old English -cræft Middle English -craft English -craft English statecraft From state + -craft.