polity

American  

[pol-i-tee] / ˈpɒl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

polities

1. a particular form or system of government.

   civil polity; ecclesiastical polity.

2. the condition of being constituted as a state or other organized community or body.

   The polity of ancient Athens became a standard for later governments.

3. government or administrative regulation.

   The colonists demanded independence in matters of internal polity.

4. a state or other organized community or body.

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polity British  

/ ˈpɒlɪtɪ /

noun

1. a form of government or organization of a state, church, society, etc; constitution

2. a politically organized society, state, city, etc

3. the management of public or civil affairs

4. political organization

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Etymology

Origin of polity

1530–40; < Latin polītīa < Greek polīteía citizenship, government, form of government, commonwealth, equivalent to polī́te-, variant stem of polī́tēs citizen ( polis, -ite ¹ ) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

Sports, at its finest, can act as a cultural common denominator for our ever-fractious and divided polity.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

He predicts that when Mr. Xi dies, we can expect “another swing of the political pendulum toward a more moderate polity, just as that occurring following Mao’s demise.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

"I think taking into account the circumstances and the compulsions of a coalition polity, I have done as best as I could do under the circumstances."

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024

The essay’s endurance is born out of the way Washington transformed his farewell into a reminder of civility, dignity, humility, and polity.

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2024

A thousand years later the village had grown to become the center of a large polity, also known as Tiwanaku.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann