'politician' originates from French, specifically the word 'politicien', where 'politic' (from Latin/Greek roots) referred to matters of the state or citizens and the suffix '-ian' indicated 'one related to' or 'practitioner of'.

'politician' changed from the Middle French word 'politicien' (and from earlier French 'politique'/'politique' forms) and eventually became the modern English word 'politician' via borrowings in the 16th century; the root traces back to Latin 'politicus' and Greek 'politikós' from 'polis' meaning 'city' and 'polítēs' meaning 'citizen'.

Initially, it meant 'a person concerned with public affairs or matters of the state'; over time it developed the additional sense of 'a professional or career-minded political operator', sometimes carrying a negative connotation.