policy
POL-uh-see
/ˈpɒləsi/
A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or individual.
In retail, it refers to the set rules for how returns and exchanges are handled.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Greek 'polis' (city). It originally referred to the administration of a city-state, eventually evolving to mean any set of rules for governing an organization.
Word relationships
- procedure: A policy is the rule; a procedure is the step-by-step way to follow that rule.
Commonly confused with
- law: A law is enforced by the government; a policy is a rule set by a private company.
Collocations
- return policy
- company policy
- strict policy
- policy change
Idioms & expressions
- honesty is the best policy
Example sentences
- "Our return policy requires all items to be in their original packaging." Store signage.
Memory hook
A POLICY is the POLICE of the store—it keeps the rules in order. The store's rules.
When not to use
Do not use for a single decision; a policy is a consistent rule applied to everyone.
Fun facts
- Many stores have 'unwritten policies' where managers have the discretion to break the rules for loyal customers.
Related words
Explore more words
rationale, implementation, governance, govern, doctrine, deliberative
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