Definition: Polity
Etymology
From Middle French politie, from Latin politia (circa 1530s C.E.), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “polity, policy, the state”). Doublet of policy and police.
Noun
polity (countable and uncountable, plural polities)
- (politics, religion, usually uncountable) organizational structure and governance, especially of a state or a religion.
- Church polity was a topic of fierce dispute in seventeenth-century Britain.
- (political science, countable) A politically organized unit, especially a state.
- New polities emerged in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Derived terms
- divine polity
Related terms
- police
- policy
- politic
- political
- politician
- politicize
- politics
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here:
