Table of Contents
Definition of Policy
(noun) Any course of action or procedure by an individual or group with authority and power that affects others.
Examples of Policy
- The syllabus distributed to students at the beginning of a class.
- The student handbook of a school.
Policy Pronunciation
Syllabification: pol·i·cy
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /pAHl-uh-see/
- British English – /pOl-i-see/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈpɑləsi/
- British English – /ˈpɒlᵻsi/
Usage Notes
- Plural: policies
- The terms “policy” and “social policy” are used interchangeably in a sociological context.
- A (noun) policy maker makes policies.
Related Video
Additional Information
- Crime and Law Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Politics and Policy Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “policy” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Wilson, William J. 1987. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Related Terms
- coercion
- contest
- go-between
- leadership
- legitimacy
- infralegal-dispute
- moot
- political system
- self-redress
Cite the Definition of Policy
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “policy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
policy. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “policy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“policy.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/>.