public policy: Meaning and Definition of

pub'lic pol'icy

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the fundamental policy on which laws rest, esp. policy not yet enunciated in specific rules.
  2. the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for setting aside, or denying effect to, acts or transactions.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.