policymaker

noun

pol·​i·​cy·​mak·​er ˈpä-lə-sē-ˌmā-kər 

variants or less commonly policy maker or policy-maker

plural policymakers also policy makers or policy-makers

: someone who is responsible for or involved in establishing policy

economic policymakers

He had been a policymaker under four Republican and Democratic Presidents and had spent years on Capitol Hill fencing with congressional committees and lobbying for votes.

—William Greider

Examples of policymaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The big problem now, according to many policymakers in Asia and beyond, is that there may not be enough of us. —Daniel Moss, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026

The trade group, which declined interview requests from NBC News, has long pitched the same argument to policymakers. —Rich Bellis, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026

That is why healthcare providers, insurers, and policymakers are beginning to explore ways to integrate nutrition into care —through produce prescriptions, grocery benefits, and partnerships with local food systems. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026

The question now—for policymakers, employers, investors, and the generation caught in the middle—is whether anyone can build new institutions fast enough to keep up with the machines. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for policymaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker