policy

1 of 2

noun (1)

pol·i·cy ˈpä-lə-sē

plural policies

often attributive

Synonyms of policy next

: prudence or wisdom in the management of affairs

: management or procedure based primarily on material interest

: 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

: 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

: a writing whereby a contract of insurance is made

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

: number sense 7a

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

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.

Noun

Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. —

Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2025 The policy also applies to other personal electronic devices like smart watches and tablets. —

Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2025 Trump is correct about California’s moronic policy that wastes vast amounts of water and starves its agricultural areas for no good reason. —

The Editors, National Review, 13 Jan. 2025 Under Biden, the U.S. government had intensified a policy that began during Trump’s first term: using the power of export controls to limit the number of advanced chips that China could obtain to impede its attempts to reach parity with the U.S. on AI. —

Billy Perrigo, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for policy

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of policy was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Policy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/policy. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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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

Last Updated: 16 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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policy

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms

Examples of policy in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near policy

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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