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

Danish policymakers were worrying about climate risk well before the storm. —Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

And if moderation within that system is limited, as some argue, then the challenge for policymakers is not simply negotiation, but understanding the ideology that drives it. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

In December 1945, Chicago scientists formed the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists of Chicago to warn the public and policymakers of the dangers of nuclear weapons. —Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

How are companies and policymakers reimagining opportunities, risk management, and future-proofing as economies expand and shrink in unexpected ways? —Semafor Events, semafor.com, 5 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