polity

[ pol-i-tee ]

noun

, plural pol·i·ties.

1. a particular form or system of government:

   civil polity; ecclesiastical polity.

2. the condition of being constituted as a state or other organized community or body:

   The polity of ancient Athens became a standard for later governments.

3. government or administrative regulation:

   The colonists demanded independence in matters of internal polity.

4. a state or other organized community or body.

polity

/ ˈpɒlɪtɪ /

noun

1. a form of government or organization of a state, church, society, etc; constitution
2. a politically organized society, state, city, etc
3. the management of public or civil affairs
4. political organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of polity¹

1530–40; < Latin polītīa < Greek polīteía citizenship, government, form of government, commonwealth, equivalent to polī́te-, variant stem of polī́tēs citizen ( polis, -ite ¹ ) + -ia -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of polity¹

C16: from Latin polītīa, from Greek politeia citizenship, civil administration, from politēs citizen, from polis city

Example Sentences

It is a nation, a polity recast in his time and split pretty much down the middle on its constitutional future.

From BBC

The Reconstruction amendments were seeking to address the status of newly freed formerly enslaved Black people and actually incorporate them into the polity and create an egalitarian society.

From Salon

So it will be, unhappily for our rapidly decomposing polity, with this apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

From Salon

From the nature of our highly diverse pre-contact society of small, autonomous polities to the destructive forces of successive colonial regimes, California Indians’ distinct history is often incompatible with federal acknowledgment criteria.

From Los Angeles Times

By that I mean we should examine the underpinnings of our polity together — from the actual ways we vote and mechanisms for spurring political competition to the very Constitution that binds us.

From Salon