Meanings
nounostrich politics (uncountable)
- derogatoryuncountableA style of politics that evades rather than addresses problems; ostrichism.
Origin
- GermanVogel-Strauß-Politik
- Englishostrich politics
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.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans volstruispolitiek
- volstruispolitiekevasive style of politics
Dutch struisvogelpolitiek
- struisvogelpolitiekevasive style of politics
Finnish strutsipolitiikka
- strutsipolitiikkaevasive style of politics
French politique de l'autruche
- politique de l'autrucheevasive style of politics
German Vogel-Strauß-Politik
- Vogel-Strauß-Politikevasive style of politics
Hungarian struccpolitika
- struccpolitikaevasive style of politics
Polish strusia polityka
- strusia politykaevasive style of politics
Portuguese política de avestruz
- política de avestruzevasive style of politics
Russian страуси́ная поли́тика
- страуси́ная поли́тика (strausínaja polítika)evasive style of politics
Spanish política de avestruz
- política de avestruzevasive style of politics
Swedish strutspolitik
- strutspolitikevasive style of politics
Cite this entry
APA
ostrich politics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20politics
MLA
“ostrich politics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20politics. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ostrich politics,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20politics.
Source: ostrich politics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.