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.

---

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.

---

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

---

policy ² British  

/ ˈpɒlɪsɪ /

noun

1. a document containing a contract of insurance

---

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

Every motion submitted to conference undergoes debate and no single interest group drives policy.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Given the growing impact of that policy tightening, rising fuel costs, and a significant fall in house prices this year, the job market could soon reflect the gloomy mood among consumers and firms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

But the country should also have more representative—and more female—legislatures because women really do have life experiences that are different than men’s, and that shapes how we understand politics, policy, and the law.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

It is governed by a strict policy of "complementarity", meaning it can only take on cases a suspect's home country is unwilling or unable to try itself.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

He nodded, his mouth pursed—thinking, no doubt, about the lecture on reservation policy he would deliver to my parents—and, with an ostentatious rattle, went back to his paper.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Over the past decade, legal activists have successfully taken a number of national governments to court, triggering the adoption of more climate-friendly policies in countries including the Netherlands, Pakistan, Switzerland, South Korea and others.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Meta has revised those policies and said that such responses should never have been allowed.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

A Los Angeles Times investigation published this year also found its policies have grown in neighborhoods where there isn’t substantial fire risk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

However, customers can compare options for phone plans and insurance policies and switch providers with greater ease.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

But it had been founded by a man they both admired—General George C. Marshall—and it had the policies they needed.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

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