rule (r l)n.1. a. Governing power or its possession or use; authority. b. The duration of such power. 2. a. An authoritative, prescribed direction for conduct, especially one of the regulations governing procedure in a legislative body or a regulation observed by the players in a game, sport, or contest. b. The body of regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for governing the conduct of its members. 3. A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior: "The rule of life in the defense bar ordinarily is to go along and get along" Scott Turow. 4. A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases: In this office, hard work is the rule, not the exception. 5. Mathematics A standard method or procedure for solving a class of problems. 6. Law a. A court order limited in application to a specific case. b. A subordinate regulation governing a particular matter. 8. Printing A thin metal strip of various widths and designs, used to print borders or lines, as between columns. v. ruled, rul·ing, rules v.tr.1. To exercise control, dominion, or direction over; govern. 2. To dominate by powerful influence. 3. To decide or declare authoritatively or judicially; decree. See Synonyms at decide. 4. a. To mark with straight parallel lines. b. To mark (a straight line), as with a ruler. v.intr.1. To be in total control or command; exercise supreme authority. 2. To formulate and issue a decree or decision. 3. To prevail at a particular level or rate: Prices ruled low. 4. Slang To be excellent or superior: That new video game rules! Phrasal Verb: rule out1. To prevent; preclude: The snowstorm ruled out their weekly meeting. 2. To remove from consideration; exclude: The option of starting over has been ruled out. Idiom: as a rule In general; for the most part: As a rule, we take the bus.
[Middle English reule, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *regula, from Latin r gula, rod, principle; see reg- in Indo-European roots.]
rul a·ble adj. |
rule Noun 1. a statement of what is allowed, for example in a game or procedure 2. a customary form or procedure: he has his own rule: be firm, be clear, but never be rude 3. the rule the common order of things: humanitarian gestures were more the exception than the rule 4. the exercise of governmental authority or control: the rule of President Marcos 5. the period of time in which a monarch or government has power: four decades of Communist rule 6. a device with a straight edge for guiding or measuring: a slide rule 7. Printing a long thin line or dash 8. Christianity a systematic body of laws and customs followed by members of a religious order 9. Law an order by a court or judge 10. as a rule usually Verb [ruling, ruled] 1. to govern (people or a political unit) 2. to be pre-eminent or superior 3. to be customary or prevalent: chaos ruled as the scene turned into one of total confusion 4. to decide authoritatively: the judges ruled that men could be prosecuted for rape offences against their wives 5. to mark with straight parallel lines or one straight line 6. to restrain or control [Old French riule]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  rule - a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation"limitation, restriction - a principle that limits the extent of something; "I am willing to accept certain restrictions on my movements" | | 2. |  rule - something regarded as a normative example; "the convention of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors"practice - knowledge of how something is usually done; "it is not the local practice to wear shorts to dinner" mores - (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group code of behavior, code of conduct - a set of conventional principles and expectations that are considered binding on any person who is a member of a particular group universal - a behavioral convention or pattern characteristic of all members of a particular culture or of all human beings; "some form of religion seems to be a human universal" | | 3. |  rule - prescribed guide for conduct or actionbylaw - a rule adopted by an organization in order to regulate its own affairs and the behavior of its members rubric - an authoritative rule of conduct or procedure rule of evidence - (law) a rule of law whereby any alleged matter of fact that is submitted for investigation at a judicial trial is established or disproved Miranda rule - the rule that police (when interrogating you after an arrest) are obliged to warn you that anything you say may be used as evidence and to read you your constitutional rights (the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent until advised by a lawyer) golden rule - any important rule; "the golden rule of teaching is to be clear" GIGO - (computer science) a rule stating that the quality of the output is a function of the quality of the input; put garbage in and you get garbage out canon - a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy; "the neoclassical canon"; "canons of polite society" etiquette - rules governing socially acceptable behavior instruction, direction - a message describing how something is to be done; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" rule book, book - a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made; "they run things by the book around here" | | 4. | rule - (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice | | 5. |  rule - a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; "their principles of composition characterized all their works"pillar - a fundamental principle or practice; "science eroded the pillars of superstition" yang - the bright positive masculine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology; "yin and yang together produce everything that comes into existence" yin - the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology; "the interaction of yin and yang maintains the harmony of the universe" feng shui - rules in Chinese philosophy that govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to patterns of yin and yang and the flow of energy (qi); the favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into consideration in designing and siting buildings and graves and furniture | | 6. | rule - the duration of a monarch's or government's power; "during the rule of Elizabeth"regency - the period of time during which a regent governs | | 7. |  rule - dominance or power through legal authority; "France held undisputed dominion over vast areas of Africa"; "the rule of Caesar"paramountcy - the state of being paramount; the highest rank or authority raj - British dominion over India (1757-1947) suzerainty - the position or authority of a suzerain; "under the suzerainty of..." | | 8. | rule - directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted; "he knew the rules of chess"instruction, direction - a message describing how something is to be done; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" ground rule - (baseball) a special rule (as in baseball) dealing with situations that arise due to the nature of the playing grounds rule book, book - a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made; "they run things by the book around here" | | 9. | rule - any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order; "the rule of St. Dominic"instruction, direction - a message describing how something is to be done; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" | | 10. | rule - a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields"law of nature, law - a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" Gresham's Law - (economics) the principle that when two kinds of money having the same denominational value are in circulation the intrinsically more valuable money will be hoarded and the money of lower intrinsic value will circulate more freely until the intrinsically more valuable money is driven out of circulation; bad money drives out good; credited to Sir Thomas Gresham mass-energy equivalence - (physics) the principle that a measured quantity of mass is equivalent (according to relativity theory) to a measured quantity of energy Naegele's rule - rule for calculating an expected delivery date; subtract three months from the first day of the last menstrual period and add seven days to that date principle of equivalence - (physics) the principle that an observer has no way of distinguishing whether his laboratory is in a uniform gravitational field or is in an accelerated frame of reference mass action, mass-action principle - (neurology) the principle that the cortex of the brain operates as a coordinated system with large masses of neural tissue involved in all complex functioning | | 11. | rule - (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; "he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"; "he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials"procedure, process - a particular course of action intended to achieve a result; "the procedure of obtaining a driver's license"; "it was a process of trial and error" metarule - a rule that describes how other rules should be used (as in AI) recursion - (mathematics) an expression such that each term is generated by repeating a particular mathematical operation math, mathematics, maths - a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement | | 12. |  rule - measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths | | Verb | 1. | rule - exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?"control, command - exercise authoritative control or power over; "control the budget"; "Command the military forces" throne - sit on the throne as a ruler reign - have sovereign power; "Henry VIII reigned for a long time" | | 2. | rule - decide with authority; "The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed"rule in, rule out - include or exclude by determining judicially or in agreement with rules | | 3. | rule - be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood"override - prevail over; "health considerations override financial concerns" overarch - be central or dominant; "This scene overarches the entire first act" | | 4. | rule - decide on and make a declaration about; "find someone guilty"feel, find - come to believe on the basis of emotion, intuitions, or indefinite grounds; "I feel that he doesn't like me"; "I find him to be obnoxious"; "I found the movie rather entertaining" | | 5. | rule - have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiacaccompany, attach to, come with, go with - be present or associated with an event or entity; "French fries come with the hamburger"; "heart attacks are accompanied by distruction of heart tissue"; "fish usually goes with white wine"; "this kind of vein accompanies certain arteries" | | 6. | rule - mark or draw with a ruler; "rule the margins"draw - represent by making a drawing of, as with a pencil, chalk, etc. on a surface; "She drew an elephant"; "Draw me a horse" | | 7. | rule - keep in check; "rule one's temper" |
rule noun 4. custom, procedure, practice, routine, form, condition, tradition, habit, convention, wont, order or way of things noun 5. government, power, control, authority, influence, administration, direction, leadership, command, regime, empire, reign, sway, domination, jurisdiction, supremacy, mastery, dominion, ascendancy, mana N.Z. verb 6. govern, lead, control, manage, direct, guide, regulate, administer, oversee, preside over, have power over, reign over, command over, have charge of verb 7. reign, govern, be in power, hold sway, wear the crown, be in authority, be number one ( informal) verb 9. decree, find, decide, judge, establish, determine, settle, resolve, pronounce, lay down, adjudge verb 10. be prevalent, prevail, predominate, hold sway, be customary, preponderate, obtain as a rule usually, generally, mainly, normally, on the whole, for the most part, ordinarily, customarily rule someone out exclude, eliminate, disqualify, ban, prevent, reject, dismiss, forbid, prohibit, leave out, preclude, proscribe, obviate, debar  Translations
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rule [ruːl] n (= norm) → norma, costumbre f (= regulation, ruler); regla (= government); dominio (= dominion etc): under British rule → bajo el dominio británico
rule [ruːl] n → règle f (= regulation); règlement m (= government); autorité f, gouvernement m (= dominion etc);
rule [ruːl] n (norm) → Regel f;
rule [ruːl] n (gen) → regola (= regulation); regolamento, regola (= government); governo (= dominion etc): under British rule → sotto la sovranità britannica
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Durham rule
