Meanings
nounostrich policy (plural ostrich policies)
plural ostrich policies
- idiomaticThe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist; ostrichism.
Origin
From ostrich + policy. Referring to the common misconception that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they notice danger. Perhaps a calque, compare ostrich politics.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 鴕鳥政策 /鸵鸟政策
- 鴕鳥政策 /鸵鸟政策 (tuóniǎo zhèngcè)the tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
French politique de l'autruche
- politique de l'autruchethe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
German Vogel-Strauß-Politik
- Vogel-Strauß-Politikthe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
Hungarian struccpolitika
- struccpolitikathe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
Polish strusia polityka
- strusia politykathe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
Russian страуси́ная поли́тика
- страуси́ная поли́тика (strausínaja polítika)the tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
Swedish strutspolitik
- strutspolitikthe tendency to ignore obvious problems and pretend they do not exist
Cite this entry
APA
ostrich policy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20policy
MLA
“ostrich policy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20policy. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ostrich policy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostrich%20policy.
Source: ostrich policy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.