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.
Furthermore, any new polities would not have contiguous ethnic boundaries. Mai Hassan, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025 Given its vast scale and scope, the book does not pretend to offer definitive accounts of every major African polity or historical event. Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 The Korean polity is deeply divided and the leftist opposition Democratic Party (DP) just might win an election if Yoon is removed. Control Risks, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 The Palestinian territories, Taiwan, Western Sahara, and other polities that are not broadly recognized as sovereign states will be especially vulnerable. Tanisha M. Fazal, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Polity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polity. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

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