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policy (social policy)

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

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: pol·i·cy

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

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.

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Additional Information

Related Terms


Cite the Definition of Policy

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “policy.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 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 29, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“policy.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/policy/>.