policy en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɒl.ə.si/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈpɔ̟l.ə.si/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈpɒl.ɪ.si/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈpɔl.ə.si/ (Australia)
- /ˈpɒl.ə.si/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
- /ˈpɒl.ə.si/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈpɑ.lə.si/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
- /ˈpɑl.si/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English policie, from Old French policie, pollicie and police, from Late Latin politia (“citizenship; government”), classical Latin polītīa (in Cicero), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “citizenship; polis, (city) state; government”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). Doublet of police, polis (“police”), and polity.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
Federal policy is constructed in complex ways, involving legislation, regulation, and lobbying.
It's company policy that all mobile phones are forbidden in meetings.
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(countable, uncountable) A document describing such a policy.
Please print extra copies of this policy and post them where it will be easy for everyone to see.
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(countable, uncountable) Wise, advantageous, or politic conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness.
These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I with greater policy concealed my struggles, and flattered you into the belief of my being impelled by unqualified, unalloyed inclination; […]
1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 131:[H]e [Richard I of England] was diſcovered in an inne in Auſtria, becauſe he diſguiſed his perſon not his expenſes; ſo that the very policie of an hoſteſſe, finding his purſe ſo farre above his clothes, did detect him: […]
1639, Thomas Fuller, “King Richard Taken Prisoner in Austria; Sold and Sent to the Emperour; Dearly Ransomed, Returneth Home”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book III, page 130:
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft.
Whether he believed himself a god, or only took on the attributes of divinity from motives of policy, is a question for the psychologist, since the historical evidence is indecisive.
1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:I, 'policie? that's their profession, And not simplicity, as they suggest.
c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
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(Scotland, countable, in-plural, uncountable) The grounds of a large country house.
The house and its policies (grounds) lie between what were once two or three separate hamlets.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 277, about Strachur:Next morning was so splendid that as he walked through the policies towards the mansion house despair itself was lulled.
1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate, published 2012, page 36:There was but one thing happened worth narrating; and that is the visit I had of Robin Oig, one of the sons of the notorious Rob Roy. He was sought upon all sides on a charge of carrying a young woman from Balfron and marrying her (as was alleged) by force; yet he stepped about Balquhidder like a gentleman in his own walled policy.
1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:1775, Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland section on Aberbrothick Now and then about a gentleman’s house stands a small plantation, which in Scotch is called a policy, but of these there are few, and those few all very young.
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) The art of governance; political science.
Liſt his diſcourse of Warre; and you ſhall heare / A fearefull Battaile rendred you in Muſique. / Turne him to any Cauſe of Pollicy, / The Gordian Knot of it he will vnlooſe, / Familiar as his Garter: […]
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], pages 69–70:
- (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A state; a polity.
- (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A set political system; civil administration.
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A trick; a stratagem.
Tis pollicie and ſtratageme muſt doo / That you affect, and ſo muſt you reſolue, / That vvhat you cannot as you vvould atchiue, / You muſt perforce accompliſh as you may: […]
c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature [C4], verso:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Motive; object; inducement.
I pray you (said he) honest men, what such right have you in me, as not to suffer me to doe with my self what I list? and what pollicie have you to bestow a benefite where it is counted an injury?
c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| policies | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
fiscal policy · valued policy · policy shop · policy keyboard · time policy · open door policy · open-door policy · micropolicy · policy holder · policy pattern · policy mix · policywise · walk policy · domestic policy council · foreign policy · policyholding · metapolicy · policy wonk · scorched-earth policy · policy institute · policy-making · one-child policy · subpolicy · antipolicy · privacy policy · monetary policy · honesty is the best policy · exit policy · same-origin policy · nonpolicy · umbrella policy · policyscape · policy by press release · policy interest rate · scorched earth policy · discretionary fiscal policy · policyless · policy rate · policied · policymaker · mispolicy · ostrich policy · policy shift · policymaking · policy economy · social policy · title policy · public policy · multipolicy · domestic policy · Mexico City policy · policy maker · endowment policy
Descendants
Translations (132)
ja 方針 (prudent conduct) · da politik (principle of conduct) · tk syýasat (principle of conduct) · ru курс (principle of conduct) · vi chính sách (principle of conduct) · sh polisa (principle of conduct) · wal polisiya (principle of conduct) · bg поли́тика (principle of conduct) · khb ᦟᦱᦋᦅᦸᧂ (principle of conduct) · fi käytäntö (principle of conduct) · hi पालिसी (principle of conduct) · hu gondosság (prudent conduct) · uz politika (principle of conduct) · mi kaupapahere (principle of conduct) · th นโยบาย (principle of conduct) · ug سىياسەت (principle of conduct) · pt política (principle of conduct) · ru ли́ния (principle of conduct) · hu elővigyázat (prudent conduct) · ja ポリシー (principle of conduct) · gl política (prudent conduct) · mn бодлого (principle of conduct) · ja 政策 (principle of conduct) · hu irányelv (principle of conduct) · ro politică (principle of conduct) · es norma (principle of conduct) · ja ポリシー (prudent conduct) · sl politika (principle of conduct) · de Umsicht (prudent conduct) · de Vorgehensweise (principle of conduct) · ar سِيَاسَة (principle of conduct) · hu vezérelv (principle of conduct) · az politika (principle of conduct) · de Richtlinie (principle of conduct) · nl beleid (principle of conduct) · is stefna (principle of conduct) · cs politika (prudent conduct) · ru поли́тика (principle of conduct) · kk политика (principle of conduct) · bo སྲིད་ཇུས (principle of conduct) · es política (principle of conduct) · nb politikk (principle of conduct) · yi פּאָליטיק (principle of conduct) · hu irányvonal (principle of conduct) · ca política (principle of conduct) · nl voorzichtigheid (prudent conduct) · bn নীতি (principle of conduct) · hu elővigyázatosság (prudent conduct) · lo ນະໂຍບາຍ (principle of conduct) · he מְדִינִיּוּת (principle of conduct) · sk politika (principle of conduct) · fi linja (principle of conduct) · de Verfahrensweise (principle of conduct) · ug فاڭجېن (principle of conduct) · fi politiikka (prudent conduct) · sh polica (principle of conduct) · cmn 方針 /方针 (prudent conduct) · be палі́тыка (principle of conduct) · mk политика (principle of conduct) · uk полі́тика (principle of conduct) · et poliitika (principle of conduct) · es política (prudent conduct) · bg полити́чност (prudent conduct) · oc politica (principle of conduct) · sv politik (principle of conduct) · sq politikë (principle of conduct) · fr politique (principle of conduct) · ky саясат (principle of conduct) · it politica (principle of conduct) · fa-ira سِیاسَت (principle of conduct) · km នយោបាយ (principle of conduct) · sw sera (principle of conduct) · hu előírás (principle of conduct) · hi नीति (principle of conduct) · de Handlungsgrundsatz (principle of conduct) · nl tactiek (prudent conduct) · no politikk (principle of conduct) · ur حِکْمَتِ عَمَلی (principle of conduct) · gl política (principle of conduct) · hu óvatosság (prudent conduct) · sw sera (prudent conduct) · yue 政策 (principle of conduct) · cmn 政策 (principle of conduct) · ta கொள்கை (principle of conduct) · pl polityka (principle of conduct) · ps سياست (principle of conduct) · hu alapelv (principle of conduct) · prs سِیَاسَت (principle of conduct) · sh полиса (principle of conduct) · de Geschicklichkeit (prudent conduct) · yue 方針 /方针 (principle of conduct) · lv politika (principle of conduct) · hu szabályzat (principle of conduct) · az siyasət (principle of conduct) · ur سِیاسَت (principle of conduct) · cmn 方針 /方针 (principle of conduct) · hu körültekintés (prudent conduct) · uz siyosat (principle of conduct) · hu célkitűzés (principle of conduct) · id kebijakan (principle of conduct) · eo politiko (principle of conduct) · ms polisi (principle of conduct) · ru поли́тика (prudent conduct) · ka პოლიტიკა (principle of conduct) · cs politika (principle of conduct) · sh политика (principle of conduct) · el πολιτική (principle of conduct) · ga beartas (principle of conduct) · evn dasni bodogong (principle of conduct) · ko 정책 (principle of conduct) · de Vorsicht (prudent conduct) · hu szabály (principle of conduct) · tk politika (principle of conduct) · fi linja (prudent conduct) · ta கொள்கை (prudent conduct) · ga polasaí (principle of conduct) · ka პოლიტიკური კურსი (principle of conduct) · bo སྲིད་བྱུས (principle of conduct) · de Politik (principle of conduct) · fi politiikka (principle of conduct) · mt politika (principle of conduct) · lt politika (principle of conduct) · sa नीति (principle of conduct) · kk саясат (principle of conduct) · tg сиёсат (principle of conduct) · my ပေါ်လစီ (principle of conduct) · ja 施策 (principle of conduct) · hy քաղաքականություն (principle of conduct) · hu elv (principle of conduct) · hu politika (principle of conduct) · pt política (prudent conduct) · ky политика (principle of conduct)