policy
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English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle French policie, 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”). Compare police and polity.
Noun[edit]
policy (countable and uncountable, plural policies)
- 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.
- It's company policy that all mobile phones are forbidden in meetings.
- 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 […]
- 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre
- The very policy of an hostess, finding his purse so far above his clothes, did detect him.
- 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:
- (Scotland, now chiefly in the plural) The grounds of a large country house. [from 18th c.]
- 1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate 2012, page 36:
- 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 2012, page 36:
- (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:
- (obsolete) Motive; object; inducement.
- 1590, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Covntesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] William Ponsonbie, OCLC 801077108; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, OCLC 318419127:
- What policy have you to bestow a benefit where it is counted an injury?
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from policy
Descendants[edit]
- → Burmese: ပေါ်လစီ (paula.ci)
Translations[edit]
principle of conduct
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prudent conduct
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Verb[edit]
policy (third-person singular simple present policies, present participle policying, simple past and past participle policied)
- (transitive) To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
- 1605, Francis Bacon, “(please specify |book=1 or 2)”, in The Tvvoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], OCLC 932932554:
- Policying of cities.
Etymology 2[edit]
From Middle French police, from Italian polizza, from Medieval Latin apodissa (“receipt for money”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “proof, declaration”)
Noun[edit]
policy (plural policies)
- (law)
- A contract of insurance.
- A document containing or certifying this contract.
- 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
Synonyms[edit]
- (number pool) policy racket
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
law: insurance — see insurance
law: insurance document
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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 Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Further reading[edit]
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