policymaker

noun

pol·​i·​cy·​mak·​er ˈpä-lə-sē-ˌmā-kər 

variants or less commonly policy maker or policy-maker

plural policymakers also policy makers or policy-makers

: someone who is responsible for or involved in establishing policy

economic policymakers

He had been a policymaker under four Republican and Democratic Presidents and had spent years on Capitol Hill fencing with congressional committees and lobbying for votes.

—William Greider

Examples of policymaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bank of Japan policymakers discussed the need for further rate hikes at their March meeting, as rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict add to inflation pressures. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026

To reverse this trend, policymakers should prioritize ways to lower taxes, increase housing affordability, rein in energy bills, and ultimately make our state a more attractive place to live and work. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026

As the global economy sprints against a catastrophic countdown, CEOs, policymakers, and investors must stop hoping for a return to cheap oil anytime soon and instead prepare to navigate a long, restricted plateau. —Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026

The question for policymakers is not just how to delay a teenager’s first login, but how to force companies to make these systems less manipulative for new users. —Catherine Thorbecke, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for policymaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker