policy

¹ American  

[pol-uh-see] / ˈpɒl ə si /

noun

• policies
  plural

1. a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc..

   We have a new company policy.

   Synonyms:

   rule, principle, strategy

2. a course of action adopted and pursued by a government, ruler, political party, etc..

   our nation's foreign policy.

3. action or procedure conforming to or considered with reference to prudence or expediency.

   It was good policy to consent.

4. prudence or expediency; shrewdness.

   Showing great policy, he pitted his enemies against one another.

   Synonyms:

   wit, calculation, acumen, prudence

   Antonyms:

   naiveté

5. Rare. government; polity.

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policy ² American  

[pol-uh-see] / ˈpɒl ə si /

noun

• policies
  plural

1. a document embodying a contract of insurance.

2. a method of gambling in which bets are made on numbers to be drawn by lottery.

3. numbers pool.

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policy ¹ British  

/ ˈpɒlɪsɪ /

noun

1. a plan of action adopted or pursued by an individual, government, party, business, etc

2. wisdom, prudence, shrewdness, or sagacity

3. (often plural) the improved grounds surrounding a country house

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policy ² British  

/ ˈpɒlɪsɪ /

noun

1. a document containing a contract of insurance

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Usage

What does policy mean? Policy most commonly refers to a rule or plan of action, especially an official one adopted and followed by a group, organization, or government. Policy is most commonly used in the context of laws (government policy), a country’s course of action toward others (foreign policy), and the standards or rules that all members of an organization must follow (such as company policy and school policy). Policy also has several other meanings, including an insurance contract. Example: Management encourages carpooling, but they haven’t made it an official company policy yet.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• policies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of policy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English policie “art of government, government, civil administration,” from Middle French, from Latin polītīa polity

Origin of policy²

First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French police “written proof, documentary evidence,” (from Italian polizza, from Medieval Latin apodissa, apodīxa “receipt, security,” ultimately from Greek apódeixis “a showing or setting forth”; see apodictic, -sis) + -y ³

Explanation

Did you just come up with a plan for reducing the number of paper clips your department uses at work each month? Then you’ve created a policy, a plan of action. The noun policy can be used to refer to a plan developed by an individual or a group. You’ll often see the word used to describe a plan developed by a government, such as a housing policy or a defense policy. A policy typically outlines a specific course of action designed to further the general goals of the group. The word can also be used to describe a formal written agreement, such as an insurance policy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

policy policies

“He thought, ‘Oh, man, I got an insurance policy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The new policy bans student-facing AI usage from preschool through eighth grade, covering about 600,000 students in the nation’s largest public school system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Fed officials will meet on Sept. 15-16 to set interest-rate policy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

At The Petersfield School in Hampshire there is already a uniform policy of only four items with a logo.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

I promise, and tell him we also have to keep him secret because of Mom’s “no pets” policy.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

“Outside of states with guaranteed issue and community rated Medigap policies, enrollees may effectively be unable to switch even after their preferences change,” the study said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Until California adopts comprehensive wildfire reforms to provide long-term certainty for customers, wildfire victims and utilities, the Legislature should not advance policies that increase regulatory uncertainty and customer costs,” PG&E spokesperson Jennifer Robison said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

"Many of these policies will be things that we're piloting for one year, two years, to see what impact it has," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Examined rigorously, policies focused on traditional development goals, such as reduced poverty and improved health, generally win decisively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

They rushed to cover themselves—to find some buyer of these strange and newly relevant insurance policies they had accumulated.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• action
• administration
• approach
• arrangement
• behavior
• code
• guideline
• management
• method
• plan
• practice
• program
• protocol
• rule
• scheme
• strategy
• theory