Meaning & use
policies
Last updated
“policies” is a form of “policy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Plans or sets of rules that a government, company, or organization officially follows.
Grammar: This is the plural of 'policy'; use it with plural verbs: policies are changing.
Patterns
- policies on something
- government policies
- company policies
- adopt a policy
The school has strict policies about mobile phones.
Government policies on housing have changed this year.
She read the company's policies before signing the contract.
nounpluralbusinessfinance
Written agreements with an insurance company that promise payment in certain situations.
Grammar: Countable plural; a single one is 'a policy' or 'an insurance policy'.
Patterns
- insurance policies
- take out a policy
- renew a policy
They took out two life insurance policies.
Our home and car policies come up for renewal in June.
Word forms
| singular | policy |
|---|
Common combinations
- government policy
- Government policy on education has shifted.
- company policy
- It is company policy to check references.
- insurance policy
- He keeps his insurance policy in a safe place.
- adopt a policy
- The council adopted a new environmental policy.
- policy maker
- Policy makers met to discuss the crisis.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rules
- 'Rules' are specific instructions; 'policies' are broader official plans that rules often support.
- guidelines
- 'Guidelines' are advice rather than firm requirements, while policies are usually official and binding.
Word family
- policy noun
- The singular form: one official plan or set of rules.
- policyholder noun
- A person who owns an insurance policy.
- policymaker noun
- Someone who decides official plans, especially in government.
Commonly confused: policies or politics? policies or police?
policies vs politics
'Politics' means activities around government and power; 'policies' are the plans those governments make.
policies vs police
'Police' are law-enforcement officers; 'policies' are rules or plans. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'policies' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Policies' is a plural noun, so it fits 'changed its policies'. Option An is wrong because a plural noun needs 'are', not 'is'; B and D treat it as a verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “policies”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.