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Criteria vs Policy - What's the difference?

criteria | policy |

As nouns the difference between criteria and policy

is that criteria is while policy is (obsolete) the art of governance; political science or policy can be a contract of insurance.

As a verb policy is

to regulate by laws; to reduce to order.

criteria

English

Noun

(head)
  • * (seeCites)
  • (nonstandard, proscribed) A single criterion.
  • * (seeCites)
  • Usage notes

    * The word criteria'' is often treated as singular or even uncountable, but these uses are usually still considered incorrect; the standard singular form is ''criterion''. The standard and most common plural form is ''criteria''; less common is ''criterions''. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criterion Merriam-Webster]: "The plural ''criteria'' has been used as a singular for over half a century . Many of our examples, like the two foregoing, are taken from speech. But singular ''criteria'' is not uncommon in edited prose, and its use both in speech and writing seems to be increasing. Only time will tell whether it will reach the unquestioned acceptability of ''agenda''."[http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/criterion American Heritage: "Like the analogous etymological plurals ''agenda'' and ''data'', ''criteria is widely used as a singular form. Unlike them, however, it is not yet acceptable in that use."

    Derived terms

    * criterial

    References

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    policy

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) policie, from . Compare police.

    Noun

    (policies)
  • (obsolete) The art of governance; political science.
  • * a. 1616 , (William Shakespeare), Henry V , I.1:
  • List his discourse of Warre; and you shall heare / A fearefull Battaile rendred you in Musique. / Turne him to any Cause of Pollicy , / The Gordian Knot of it he will vnloose, / Familiar as his Garter
  • (obsolete) A state; a polity.
  • (obsolete) A set political system; civil administration.
  • (obsolete) A trick; a stratagem.
  • * a. 1594 , (William Shakespeare), Titus Andronicus :
  • 'Tis pollicie , and stratageme must doe / That you affect, and so must you resolue, / That what you cannot as you would atcheiue, / You must perforce accomplish as you may.
  • A principle of behaviour, conduct etc. thought to be desirable or necessary, especially as formally expressed by a government or other authoritative body.
  • The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers.
  • Wise or advantageous conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness.
  • * 1813 , Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice , Modern Library Edition (1995), page 140:
  • These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I with greater policy concealed my struggles, and flattered you
  • * Fuller
  • The very policy of a hostess, finding his purse so far above his clothes, did detect him.
  • (now, rare) Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft.
  • * 1946 , (Bertrand Russell), History of Western Philosophy , I.25:
  • Whether he believed himself a god, or only took on the attributes of divinity from motives of policy , is a question for the psychologist, since the historical evidence is indecisive.
  • (Scotland, now, chiefly, in the plural) The grounds of a large country house.
  • * 1955 , (Robin Jenkins), The Cone-Gatherers , Canongate 2012, page 36:
  • Next morning was so splendid that as he walked through the policies towards the mansion house despair itself was lulled.
  • (obsolete) Motive; object; inducement.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
  • What policy have you to bestow a benefit where it is counted an injury?
    Derived terms
    * policied * policymaker * policy shift * endowment policy * fiscal policy * honesty is the best policy * monetary policy * policy mix

    Verb

  • To regulate by laws; to reduce to order.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Policying of cities.''

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) police, from (etyl) polizza, from

    Noun

    (policies)
  • A contract of insurance
  • * Your insurance policy covers fire and theft only.
  • (obsolete) An illegal daily lottery in late nineteenth and early twentieth century USA on numbers drawn from a lottery wheel (no plural )
  • A number pool lottery
  • Synonyms
    * (number pool) policy racket
    Derived terms
    * policyholder