ISOPOLITY noun (ahy-suh-pol-I-tee)

noun
1. equal rights of citizenship, as in different communities; mutual political rights.


Quotes

Isopolity agreements offered states and their citizens a way to share most fully in each other's judicial systems, political processes, religious and cultural life, without giving up their prized mutual autonomy.
--*Richard Billows,*"International Relations," The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare, Volume I, 2007


In the nine****th century, the British lawyer and legal theorist A. V. Dicey proposed the creation of a common citizenship, or “isopolity,” between the United States and the United Kingdom.
--*Linda Kinstler,*"A New Way for the Wealthy to Shop for Citizenships," The New Yorker, June 11, 2016



Origin

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 b.c.) was the first author to use isopolīteía “equality of civic rights.” Isopolīteía applied to individuals and communities; it also meant reciprocity of such rights between states (as by treaty). Polīteía “citizenship, daily life of a citizen, body of citizens; government, polity, constitution” is a derivative of the noun pólis “citadel (of a city), city, one’s city or country.” Pólis comes the very complicated Proto-Indo-European root pel-, pelǝ-, plē- “citadel, fortified elevation, city.” The same root yields the Sanskrit noun pū́r “citadel, city” (Singapur “Singapore” means “Lion City”), and Lithuanian pilìs “citadel, castle.” Isopolity entered English in the 19th century.