Foreign policy

How it is used

Used by officials, journalists and academics. A country 'conducts', 'shapes' or 'reviews' its foreign policy, and adjectives describe its direction: active, cautious, independent, pragmatic. Usually uncountable, but 'foreign policies' is possible when comparing countries.

Example sentences

1. The new government has promised a more active foreign policy in its region.

2. Trade is now at the centre of the country's foreign policy.

3. My thesis compares the foreign policy of two small European states after 1990.

Common collocations

• conduct foreign policy
• foreign policy goals
• foreign policy priorities
• shift in foreign policy
• foreign policy adviser

Related terms

• national interestWhat a government sees as most important for its country's security, prosperity and values, used to explain and justify foreign policy choices.
• diplomacyThe work of managing relations between countries through talks, agreements and official contacts rather than force; also the skill of dealing with people tactfully.
• foreign ministryThe government department responsible for a country's relations with other states, its diplomatic service and its embassies abroad.
• geopoliticsThe study of how geography, such as location, borders, resources and sea routes, affects the power and foreign policy of states; also the power politics that results.
• soft powerA country's ability to influence others through attraction, such as its culture, values, education and policies, rather than through force or payment.

More terms: Foreign Policy & the State

• sovereignty
• bilateral
• multilateral
• head of state
• hard power