public policy

American  

[puhb-lik pol-uh-see] / ˈpʌb lɪk ˈpɒl ə si /

noun

1. 1. the body of laws and other measures that affect the general public.

      These officeholders are creating public policy on important issues including affordable housing and the environment.

   2. the underlying principles, values, or objectives that inform these laws and other measures: In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

      The Institute participates in shaping public debate and public policy through inquiry and dialogue.

      In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

2. Law. the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for declaring an act or transaction illegal or invalid.

   The principle of public policy requires that we judge the tendency of the contract at the time when it was entered into.

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Etymology

Origin of public policy

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

"Everyone is an immigrant or a refugee or migrant," Gere said at the launch of the partnership between his foundation and the Hertie School, a Berlin-based public policy university.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

They emphasized that both preparation methods and replacement foods are important factors when making dietary recommendations or shaping public policy.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

But as public policy and law and social science experts, we believe students aren’t protesting for a very simple reason: They are afraid.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

“Tens of millions flow into local news as public policy becomes journalism’s fourth leg,” says a headline in Editor & Publisher, a trade publication for the newspaper industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

The investigative journalist Jonathan Kwitny later argued that the case was “a fine example of what can happen when important matters of public policy are abandoned by government to the self-interest of corporations.”

From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser