polity

noun

pol·​i·​ty ˈpä-lə-tē How to pronounce polity (audio)
plural polities
1
: political organization
2
: a specific form of political organization
3
: a politically organized unit
4
a
: the form or constitution of a politically organized unit
b
: the form of government of a religious denomination

Examples of polity in a Sentence

the polities of medieval Italy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Healthy democracy, like good health, requires adherence to a particular set of norms and behaviors, and the price of neglect is not just sick polities but sick people. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024 Humanity, or at least parts of it, is building understanding about populations, demographies, personalities, and polities. Joanna J. Bryson, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2022 In this view, Kim was not only custodian of the American polity but its inheritor, alongside the nation’s Asian, Latino, and black populace—what the white revanchists yearning for, say, the 80 percent white America of 1980, might refer to as a Great Replacement. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 More cynically, these books are celebrity autobiographies for a polity that has seen healthier days. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for polity 

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Late Latin polītīa "citizenship, political organization, constitution of a state, administrative direction," with ending conformed to -ity — more at police entry 1

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of polity was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near polity

Cite this Entry

“Polity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polity. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on polity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!