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

An increasing number of policymakers have warned the Fed may need to raise rates this year to reverse a pickup in inflation. — Catarina Saraiva, Fortune, 28 June 2026

Many policymakers see such increases as a win because studies show routine care can prevent more expensive and complex diagnoses down the line. — Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026

But Oregon policymakers have such loose definitions of what’s beneficial and what’s waste that, during the drought, our reporting found, only 1 of every 4 gallons COID took from the river was absorbed by crops. — Emily Cureton Cook, ProPublica, 26 June 2026

If Florida and our nation are finally making real progress against opioid addiction and overdose deaths, why are some policymakers still focused on taking options away from people? — Chris Carroll, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 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