policy
UK/ˈpɒl.ə.si//ˈpɑ.lə.si/
policy noun: a principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
Noun (1)
policy (countable and uncountable, plural policies)
- A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
- The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
- It's company policy that all mobile phones are forbidden in meetings.
- A document describing such a policy.
- Please print extra copies of this policy and post them where it will be easy for everyone to see.
- Wise, advantageous, or politic conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness.
- [H]e [Richard I of England] was diſcovered in an inne in Auſtria, becauſe he diſguiſed his perſon not his expenſes; ſo that the very policie of an hoſteſſe, finding his purſe ſo farre above his clothes, did detect him: […]1639, Thomas Fuller, “King Richard Taken Prisoner in Austria; Sold and Sent to the Emperour; Dearly Ransomed, Returneth Home”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas...
- These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I with greater policy concealed my struggles, and flattered you into the belief of my being impelled by unqualified, unalloyed inclination; […]1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 131
- Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft.
- I, 'policie? that's their profession,
And not simplicity, as they suggest.c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published... - Whether he believed himself a god, or only took on the attributes of divinity from motives of policy, is a question for the psychologist, since the historical evidence is indecisive.1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25
- I, 'policie? that's their profession,
- The grounds of a large country house.
- Now and then about a gentleman’s house stands a small plantation, which in Scotch is called a policy, but of these there are few, and those few all very young.1775, Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland section on Aberbrothick
- There was but one thing happened worth narrating; and that is the visit I had of Robin Oig, one of the sons of the notorious Rob Roy. He was sought upon all sides on a charge of carrying a young woman from Balfron and marrying her (as was alleged) by force; yet he stepped about Balquhidder like a...1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC
- The art of governance; political science.
- Liſt his diſcourse of Warre; and you ſhall heare / A fearefull Battaile rendred you in Muſique. / Turne him to any Cauſe of Pollicy, / The Gordian Knot of it he will vnlooſe, / Familiar as his Garter: […]1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
- A state; a polity.
- A set political system; civil administration.
- A trick; a stratagem.
- Tis pollicie and ſtratageme muſt doo / That you affect, and ſo muſt you reſolue, / That vvhat you cannot as you vvould atchiue, / You muſt perforce accompliſh as you may: […]c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas...
- Motive; object; inducement.
- I pray you (said he) honest men, what such right have you in me, as not to suffer me to doe with my self what I list? and what pollicie have you to bestow a benefite where it is counted an injury?c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New...
Verb
policy (third-person singular simple present policies, present participle policying, simple past and past participle policied)
- To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
- Policying of cities.1605, Francis Bacon, “(please specify |book=1 or 2)”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas...
Noun (2)
policy (plural policies)
policy meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu
policy in Hindi
- principle of conduct
- नीति nīti, पालिसी pālisī
policy in Tamil
- principle of conduct
- கொள்கை koḷkai
- prudent conduct
- கொள்கை koḷkai
policy in Marathi
- धोरण
policy in Urdu
- principle of conduct
- سِیاسَت siyāsat, حِکْمَتِ عَمَلی hikmat-i 'amalī
More languagesFewer languages
- policy in Bengali
- নীতি niti
- policy in Telugu
- విధానం, పాలసీ
- policy in Malayalam
- നയം nayaṁ
- policy in Kannada
- ಹಮ್ಮುಗೆ, ನೆಗಳ್ತೆ, ಮುನ್ನಾಪು ಒಪ್ಪಂದ, ಕಾರ್ಯನೀತಿ
- policy in Punjabi
- ਨੀਤੀ nītī
- policy in Gujarati
- નીતિ, પોલીસી
- policy in Odia
- ନୀତି, ନୀତିର, ନୀତିକୁ
- policy in Sanskrit
- नीति nīti
- policy in Nepali
- नीति
- policy in Pashto
- سياست seyāsát
- policy in Arabic
- سِيَاسَة siyāsa, سَنَد تَأْمِين sanad taʔmīn
- policy in Malay
- polisi
- policy in Indonesian
- kebijakan
- policy in Thai
- นโยบาย ná-yoo-baai, กรมธรรม์ grom-má-tan
- policy in Vietnamese
- chính sách
- policy in Myanmar
- ပေါ်လစီ paula.ci
Examples of policy in a sentence
- Federal policy is constructed in complex ways, involving legislation, regulation, and lobbying.
- He was sought upon all sides on a charge of carrying a young woman from Balfron and marrying her (as was alleged) by force; yet he stepped about Balquhidder like a gentleman in his own walled policy.1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London...
Synonyms of policy
- policy racket
Forms of policy
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | policies |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | policies |
| present participle | policying |
| past participle | policied |
| past | policied |
Origin of policy
From Middle English policie, from Old French policie, pollicie and police, from Late Latin politia (“citizenship; government”), classical Latin polītīa (in Cicero), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “citizenship; polis, (city) state; government”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). Doublet of police, polis (“police”), and polity.
From Middle French police, from Italian polizza, from Medieval Latin apodissa (“receipt for money”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “proof, declaration”). Doublet of apodixis.
Words formed from policy
- antipolicy
- discretionary fiscal policy
- domestic policy
- domestic policy council
- endowment policy
- exit policy
- fiscal policy
- foreign policy
- honesty is the best policy
- metapolicy
- Mexico City policy
- micropolicy
- mispolicy
- monetary policy
- multipolicy
- nonpolicy
- one-child policy
- open door policy
- open-door policy
- ostrich policy
- policied
- policy by press release
- policy economy
- policy holder
- policyholding
- policy institute
- policy interest rate
- policy keyboard
- policyless
- policymaker
- policy maker
- policy-making
- policymaking
- policy mix
- policy pattern
- policy rate
- policyscape
- policy shift
- policy shop
- policywise
- policy wonk
- privacy policy
- public policy
- same-origin policy
- scorched-earth policy
- scorched earth policy
- social policy
- subpolicy
- time policy
- title policy
- umbrella policy
- valued policy
- walk policy
- policyholder
Phrases with policy
- policy mixes
- policy rates
- policy shops
- policy wonks
- policy makers
- policy holders
- policy patterns
- Port and Policy
- insurance policy
- policy economies
- policy keyboards
- policy institutes
4 more phrasesFewer phrases
Questions about policy
- What does policy mean?
- Policy means a principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
- What is policy in Hindi?
- Policy in Hindi is नीति (nīti), पालिसी (pālisī). See Policy meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use policy in a sentence?
- Federal policy is constructed in complex ways, involving legislation, regulation, and lobbying.
- What part of speech is policy?
- Policy can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce policy?
- Policy is pronounced /ˈpɒl.ə.si/ (UK).
- What is the plural of policy?
- The plural of policy is policies.
Words near policy in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: policy (page history and authors); policy (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); policy (Telugu, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); നയം (Malayalam) (page history and authors); policy (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ਨੀਤੀ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); policy (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); policy (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); policy (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-policy.ogg.
Cite this entry: “policy.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/policy. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.