policy
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology 1
From Middle French policie, from Late Latin politia (“citizenship; government”), classical Latin polītīa (in Cicero), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeia, “citizenship; polis, (city) state; government”), from πολίτης (“citizen”). Compare police.
[edit] Noun
policy (plural policies)
- (obsolete) The art of governance; political science. [14th-18th c.]
- a. 1616, William Shakespeare, Henry V, I.1:
- 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 [...].
- a. 1616, William Shakespeare, Henry V, I.1:
- (obsolete) A state; a polity. [14th-16th c.]
- (obsolete) A set political system; civil administration. [15th-19th c.]
- (obsolete) A trick; a stratagem. [15th-19th c.]
- a. 1594, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus:
- 'Tis pollicie, and stratageme must doe / That you affect, and so must you resolue, / That what you cannot as you would atcheiue, / You must perforce accomplish as you may.
- a. 1594, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus:
- A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to be desirable or necessary, especially as formally expressed by a government or other authoritative body. [from 15th c.]
- The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
- Wise or advantageous conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness. [from 15th c.]
- 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Modern Library Edition (1995), page 140:
- These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I with greater policy concealed my struggles, and flattered you [...].
- 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Modern Library Edition (1995), page 140:
- (now rare) Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft. [from 15th c.]
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:
- 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:
[edit] Derived terms
- policymaker
- policy shift
- endowment policy
- fiscal policy
- honesty is the best policy
- monetary policy
- policy mix
- to implement a policy
[edit] Translations
principle of conduct
prudent conduct
[edit] Etymology 2
From Middle French police, from Italian polizza, from Medieval Latin apodissa (“receipt for money”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόδειξις (apodeixis, “proof, declaration”)
[edit] Noun
policy (plural policies)
- A contract of insurance
- Your insurance policy covers fire and theft only.
- (obsolete) An illegal daily lottery in late nineteenth and early twentieth century USA on numbers drawn from a lottery wheel (no plural)
- A number pool lottery
[edit] Synonyms
- (number pool) policy racket
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
contract of insurance
number pool — see number pool
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
[edit] External links
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English nouns
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with rare senses
- English terms derived from Italian
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
