policy

¹

[ pol-uh-see ]

noun

, plural pol·i·cies.

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

[ pol-uh-see ]

noun

, plural pol·i·cies.

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 ( def 2 ).

policy

¹

/ 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

/ ˈpɒlɪsɪ /

noun

1. a document containing a contract of insurance

Word History and Origins

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”; apodictic, -sis ) + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of policy¹

C14: from Old French policie, from Latin polītīa administration, polity

Origin of policy²

C16: from Old French police certificate, from Old Italian polizza, from Latin apodixis proof, from Greek apodeixis demonstration, proof

Example Sentences

That policy has since been removed from the handbook, she said.

From Voice of San Diego

Recently, 790 groups linked to QAnon were removed under this policy, Facebook said.

From TechCrunch

That requires both thinking about the policies that guide their behavior and the mechanisms for accountability when they violate those policies.

From Vox

Launching a National Energy Innovation Mission represents a climate policy that is both highly ambitious and politically achievable.

From MIT Technology Review

Some policy makers have turned to social and behavioral scientists for guidance, which is encouraging because this doesn’t always happen.

From FiveThirtyEight

That strategy has been used in some cases to help determine GMO policy.

From The Daily Beast

Two-thirds of those who likely to benefit from the new policy are Mexican.

From The Daily Beast

In short, fatherhood gets little attention in policy debates.

From The Daily Beast

I believe in the power of institutions—Congress, public policy, certain ideas about politics—that last for a long time.

From The Daily Beast

What they believe impacts economic policy, foreign policy, education policy, environmental policy, you name it.

From The Daily Beast

It looks very much as if the same policy adopted in the war of 1871-3 had been consciously followed.

From Project Gutenberg

That is, the Government was led into the policy of borrowing through the increase of monetary forms.

From Project Gutenberg

This decision meant a complete reversal of Swedish foreign policy and a breach with France.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no need to discuss the particular way in which this policy can best be carried out.

From Project Gutenberg

Even the purest selfishness would dictate a policy of social insurance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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

More About Policy

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.

Where does policy come from?

The first records of policy in English come from the second half of the 1300s. It comes from the Middle English term policie, meaning “government” or “civil administration.” That word was derived from the Latin polītīa, meaning “polity,” a politically united group of any kind. The Latin polītīa is the basis of many related words, including politics and police.

Policies come in many forms, and the singular term policy can refer to a single rule or to a set of rules. In most cases, policy refers to an official rule or plan of action, as in It is university policy not to allow freshmen to have cars on campus. Company policy determines what employees can and cannot do. Government policies might apply to certain government workers or they might extend to all citizens, depending on whether the policy is a rule of a particular department or a law. In politics, a politician’s policies are the plans and rules that they propose or have enacted, as in He talks a lot about his governing style, but what are his actual policies? 

Policies aren’t always official, though. Sometimes, they’re personal, as in It’s my policy never to kiss on the first date. While it may not be official in any way, policy in this context still refers to a general rule or plan of action that one follows. A more specific use of policy is in the insurance field. An insurance policy is the contract between the insurance company and its client, typically stating what kind of events get covered. This sense of policy has a different origin—it derives from the Greek word apódeixis, meaning “demonstration” or “proof.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to policy?

• policies (plural)

What are some synonyms for policy?

• rule
• principle
• strategy

What are some words that share a root or word element with policy? 

 

• politics
• police
• polity
• policymaker
• policyowner

What are some words that often get used in discussing policy?

 

• foreign
• company
• government
• university
• school
• law

How is policy used in real life?

Policy is commonly used in the context of government policy or the policies of organizations like companies and schools.

We have to see it the same as meter enforcement for cars. A lot of people get away w/o paying meters, but we accept it as the cost of "doing business". I'm all for fare gates that minimize evasion, but if these costs exceed the increased revenue, that's just bad policy. /8

— jd (@jodirren) January 16, 2020

After this week's events, I'm changing my policy on blocking.

I fundamentally dislike blocking people on social media, but now that my account has grown so much, it's attracting many weirdos and malcontents with bad intentions.

Have to be more aggressive with it unfortunately.

— ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) February 29, 2020

"Foreign policy is built on economic muscle"

– @DrSJaishankar #ETGBS

— Manu Pubby (@manupubby) March 7, 2020

 

 

Try using policy!

Is policy used correctly in the following sentence?

As a part of our company policy, you are not allowed to take phone calls while on the clock unless it is an emergency.