policy

B1 Topic:Law & Government

US /ˈpɑ.lə.si/ UK /ˈpɒl.ə.si/ See IPA manual

Freq #2697

Meanings

1

noun
An official plan or set of rules that a government, company, or person decides to follow.

The company has a strict policy on customer privacy.
2

noun
A written contract with an insurance company.

You should read the small print on your insurance policy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a written contract with an... insuranceinsurance policy

Word family

Forms policies

Derived forms antipolicymetapolicymicropolicymispolicymultipolicynonpolicypoliciedpolicy-makingpolicyholderpolicyholdingpolicylesspolicymaker

Appears in

Phrases (5)

See all

fiscal policy
government decisions about public spending, taxation, and borrowing

Adjective + noun
monetary policy
policies affecting money, credit, and borrowing conditions in an economy

Adjective + noun
conscious policy
a deliberate plan chosen with awareness of its purpose and effects

Adjective + noun
governmental policy
A plan or course of action adopted by a government.

Adjective + noun
beggar-thy-neighbor policy
an economic policy intended to benefit one country at the expense of other countries

Fixed expression

Proverbs (2)

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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.

policie Middle English polītīa Latin πολιτεία Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government

External links

# policy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɑ.lə.si/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɒl.ə.si/
**Frequency rank:** 2697

## Meanings
1. An official plan or set of rules that a government, company, or person decides to follow.
2. A written contract with an insurance company.

## Examples
- The company has a strict policy on customer privacy.
- You should read the small print on your insurance policy.

## Derived Forms
- antipolicy
- metapolicy
- micropolicy
- mispolicy
- multipolicy
- nonpolicy
- policied
- policy-making
- policyholder
- policyholding
- policyless
- policymaker

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: policie
- Root: polītīa
- Root: πολιτεία

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Policy comes 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. In present-day English it covers an official plan or set of rules that a government, company, or person decides to follow and a written contract with an insurance company. The wider family includes derived forms such as antipolicy, metapolicy, micropolicy, mispolicy, multipolicy.

## Topics
- Law & Government

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