policy
A set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a business organization, a government, or a political party. It acts as a guide for decision-making and describes the rules that must be followed.
Examples
3 of 5The shop has a policy of no returns without a receipt.
The store has a rule that you cannot return items without a proof of purchase.
The government is developing a new foreign policy to improve international relations.
The government is creating a new plan for how to deal with other countries.
Our family policy is that we don't use phones while we are eating dinner.
In our house, the rule is that we put away mobile phones during meals.
Antonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
Think of 'Police-y': The Police check if you are following the Policy (the rules).
Quick Quiz
The university has a very strict _____ against cheating during exams.
Correct!
The correct answer is: policy
Examples
The shop has a policy of no returns without a receipt.
everydayThe store has a rule that you cannot return items without a proof of purchase.
The government is developing a new foreign policy to improve international relations.
formalThe government is creating a new plan for how to deal with other countries.
Our family policy is that we don't use phones while we are eating dinner.
informalIn our house, the rule is that we put away mobile phones during meals.
The researcher examined the long-term effects of the school's educational policy.
academicThe student studied how the school's rules for teaching affected people over time.
It is company policy to provide all employees with health insurance.
businessThe business has an official rule to give medical insurance to every worker.
Antonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
Honesty is the best policy
It is always better to tell the truth
Open-door policy
A policy where managers are always available to talk to employees
Zero-tolerance policy
A rule where a specific behavior is never allowed and results in immediate punishment
Often Confused With
Police are the people who enforce laws; a policy is a rule or a plan.
Politics is the activity of government; a policy is the actual decision or plan made by a government.
Usage Notes
Use 'policy' when referring to official guidelines. It is a countable noun, so you can have 'a policy' or 'many policies'.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misspell 'policy' as 'police' because they sound similar. Also, do not use 'make a policy' when you mean 'follow a rule' in a general sense.
Memory Tip
Think of 'Police-y': The Police check if you are following the Policy (the rules).
Word Origin
Derived from the Old French 'policie' meaning civil administration, which comes from the Greek 'politeia' meaning citizenship or government.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In English-speaking business culture, 'company policy' is often used as a final answer to explain why something cannot be done differently.
Quick Quiz
The university has a very strict _____ against cheating during exams.
Correct!
The correct answer is: policy
Related Grammar Rules
Related Phrases
Related Vocabulary
The act or process of making or enacting laws, or the laws t...
administrationThe process or activity of running a business, organization,...
regulationA regulation is an official rule or law created by a governm...
insuranceInsurance is a service you buy to protect yourself from losi...
procedureA procedure is a series of established actions or steps take...
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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