policy
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpɒləsi/
ipa: /ˈpɒlɪsi/
ipa: /ˈpɑləsi/
Forms: form: policies
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”). Compare police and polity.
Senses: examples: text: The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
text: It's company policy that all mobile phones are forbidden in meetings.
text: Federal policy is constructed in complex ways, involving legislation, regulation, and lobbying.
glosses: A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
examples: text: Please print extra copies of this policy and post them where it will be easy for everyone to see.
glosses: A document describing such a policy.
examples: text: [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: […]
ref: 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:
text: 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; […]
ref: 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 131:
glosses: Wise, advantageous, or politic conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness.
examples: text: I, 'policie? that's their profession,
And not simplicity, as they suggest.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.25:
glosses: Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft.
examples: text: 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.
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: Next morning was so splendid that as he walked through the policies towards the mansion house despair itself was lulled.
ref: 1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate, published 2012, page 36:
text: The house and its policies (grounds) lie between what were once two or three separate hamlets.
ref: 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 277, about Strachur:
glosses: The grounds of a large country house.
examples: text: 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: […]
ref: 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:
glosses: The art of governance; political science.
glosses: A state; a polity.
glosses: A set political system; civil administration.
examples: text: 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: […]
ref: 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:
glosses: A trick; a stratagem.
examples: text: 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?
ref: 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:
english: The New Arcadia
translation: The New Arcadia
glosses: Motive; object; inducement.
Derived terms: antipolicy
discretionary fiscal policy
domestic policy
domestic policy council
endowment policy
exit policy
fiscal policy
foreign policy
honesty is the best policy
metapolicy
Mexico City policy
micropolicy
mispolicy
monetary policy
multipolicy
nonpolicy
one-child policy
open door policy
open-door policy
ostrich policy
policied
policy by press release
policy economy
policy holder
policyholding
policy institute
policy interest rate
policy keyboard
policyless
policymaker
policy maker
policy-making
policymaking
policy mix
policy pattern
policy rate
policyscape
policy shift
policy shop
policywise
policy wonk
privacy policy
public policy
same-origin policy
scorched-earth policy
scorched earth policy
social policy
subpolicy
time policy
title policy
umbrella policy
valued policy
walk policy