policymaker

noun

pol·​i·​cy·​mak·​er ˈpä-lə-sē-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce policymaker (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public. Danielle Duclos, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Many American policymakers have grown skeptical of multilateral engagement, preferring to focus inward. Sergio Alonso Fernández De Córdova Y De Veyga, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025 And risks occur when such ideas take hold among the general population or policymakers, some public health leaders say. Stephanie Armour, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 Taken together and combined with recent statements from other monetary policymakers, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee looks to be on a clear path to more reductions, the extent to which remains unclear. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for policymaker

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of policymaker was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Policymaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policymaker. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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