also: せいきゃく
noun
A somewhat formal or literary term for a person engaged in politics, often with a connotation of statesmanship. Less common in everyday speech than 政治家.
彼は単なる政治家ではなく、真の政客だ。
He is not just a politician, but a true statesman.
その政客は国際会議で重要な役割を果たした。
The statesman played an important role at the international conference.
政治家 is the common, everyday word for 'politician'. 政客 is more literary and often implies a statesman-like quality.
Compound of 政 (sei, 'government, politics') and 客 (kaku, 'person, guest'). The reading せいきゃく is a variant, possibly influenced by older Sino-Japanese readings.