policy

1 of 2

noun (1)

pol·​i·​cy ˈpä-lə-sē 

plural policies

often attributive

1

a

: prudence or wisdom in the management of affairs

b

: management or procedure based primarily on material interest

2

a

: a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions

b

: a high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body

policy

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural policies

1

: a writing whereby a contract of insurance is made

2

a

: a daily lottery in which participants bet that certain numbers will be drawn from a lottery wheel

b

: number sense 7a

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• course
• line
• methodology
• procedure
• program

Examples of policy in a Sentence

Noun (1)

it's always been my policy not to spread rumors

you should have exercised greater policy in your online relationships and not divulged so much personal information

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some were fearful for friends and family; others mourned a new era in American immigration policy. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025

In Santa Cruz, several hundred people gathered at the corner of Ocean and Water streets at a busy intersection near the county government center to protest Trump and his policies. —Harriet Blair Rowan, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025

The results show that Trump has so far been able to convince only his base that his economic policies will be good for the country over time: 49% of the public believe the economy will get worse over the next year, the most pessimistic overall result since 2023. —Steve Liesman, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025

The faithful execution of the law must not be a casualty of the administration’s immigration policy. —Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 19 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English policie, pollecye "art or practice of government, system of government, commonwealth, organization or conduct of affairs, practical skill, prudence," borrowed from Anglo-French policie, pollecie "governance, system of government" (Middle French also, "a political organization, the state, conduct, behavior"), borrowed from Late Latin polītīa "citizenship, political organization, government" — more at police entry 1

Note: The term is a doublet of police entry 1; see note at that entry.

Noun (2)

earlier police, pollecy (in the phrase police/pollecy of assurance, after French pollice d'assurance), borrowed from Middle French police, pollice "certificate, written proof," probably borrowed from Italian polizza, pollizza "receipt, promissory note," alteration of apodissa, appodissa (by absorption of initial a- by the definite article and shift of -d- to a lateral), borrowed from Medieval Latin apodixa, apodissa "receipt," borrowed from Middle Greek apódeixis, going back to Greek, "making known, proof," from apodeik-, stem of apodeíknymi, apodeiknýnai "to point out, make known, prove" + -sis -sis — more at apodictic

Note: The English variant with -cy is presumably assimilation to policy entry 1, ending in a familiar suffix; it appears to have displaced police at an early date. — Middle French police has also been taken as a loan from Old Occitan polissia, itself borrowed from Italian, or directly from Medieval Latin or Greek; the editors of Trésor de la langue française reject this on grounds of the location of the earliest citations. The shift of a dental to a lateral in (apodissa > polizza) is perhaps best explained as direct borrowing into Italian from vernacular Greek, where the dental would have been a voiced interdental fricative; as Italian lacked this sound, it was transferred as an -l- (compare the etymology of pilot entry 1). This alters somewhat the path of transmission in the etymology above, perhaps removing Medieval Latin as an intermediary.

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing policy

• as a matter of policy
• foreign policy
• honesty is the best policy
• insurance policy
• policy maker
• policy-making
• policy science
• public policy

Rhymes for policy

• impolicy

Kids Definition

policy

1 of 2 noun

pol·​i·​cy ˈpäl-ə-sē 

plural policies

: a course of action chosen in order to guide people in making decisions

a country's foreign policy

policy

2 of 2 noun

plural policies

: a document that contains the agreement made by an insurance company with a person whose life or property is insured

Legal Definition

policy

1 of 2 noun

pol·​i·​cy ˈpä-lə-sē 

plural policies

: an overall plan, principle, or guideline

especially : one formulated outside of the judiciary

obligated to consider legislative policy on the matter in their decision

policy

2 of 2 noun

plural policies

: a contract of insurance

also : the written instrument of such a contract