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

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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

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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

Mr. Trump has a historic opportunity to reshape American policy in a difficult region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The tension at the heart of the primary—and the feud between El-Sayed and Stevens—is less a policy disagreement than a moral one.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

Green groups were also asked to call on their party's "national leadership" to reconsider the policy.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Another potential bonus would be a pulling forward of investment and M&A activity to beat a shift in policy in 2028.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

Foreign policy aide Oleg Troyanovsky, who was spending the night at the Kremlin, called to say a letter from Fidel Castro had just come in, a truly unhinged message.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

"The need to ensure their safety in the face of crime and violence, house demolitions, discriminatory policies and budget allocations are issues on which there is room for dialogue," he said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Brown is known as a champion of workers and was advocating economic populist policies long before others in his party.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

They also explored the obstacles to implementing these changes and identified areas where additional research and updated public health policies could help improve outcomes.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Speaking to Slate in her office the day before, she often deflected criticism of administration policies on key issues—noting that she raised concern with key stakeholders.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

There was no criticism of the school, the school administration, or school policies.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

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Related Words

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

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