Polity
/ˈpɒl.ɪ.ti/noun
A politically organized body or community, such as a state or government.
Did you know?Polity ultimately comes from Greek *polis* (“city”), the same root behind *politics*, *metropolis*, and *acropolis*—a root tied to the ancient city as a seat of power, identity, and sacred order.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to be thick, dense; later extended in Greek into the idea of a fortified settlement”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πόλις (polis)
“city; city-state”
Late Latin
Latin
politas / politia
“citizenship; civil polity; state administration”
Middle French
Old French
politie
“civil order; government”
14th Century
English
polity
“a body politic; a form of civil government”
Modern English
English
polity
“an organized political unit or state”
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