From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrealpolitikre‧al‧pol‧i‧tik /reɪˈɑːlpɒlɪtiːk $ -pɑː-/ noun [uncountable] PPpolitics based on practical situations and needs rather than on moral principles or ideas
Examples from the Corpus
realpolitik• Diplomacy and realpolitik continue to fascinate him.• In the world of trade and realpolitik, it counts for nothing.• In Britain, commercial realpolitik had won the day.• The role produces masters of realpolitik, Machiavellian in the original sense of the word.• And dissimulation was of course essential for the practice of realpolitik.• In good old realpolitik tradition, the chairman controls the staff and the budget.• Was there, in truth, any other option but the realpolitik of Wapping?• What the idealism of the non-aligned movement could not bring about may finally happen through realpolitik.Origin realpolitik (1900-2000) German “practical politics” 