rule
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɹuːl/
ipa: /ɹɪu̯l/
ipa: /ɹʉl/
rhymes: -uːl
Forms: form: rules
Etymology: From Middle English reule, rewle, rule, borrowed from Old French riule, reule, from Latin regula (“straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of rail, regal, regula, and rigol.
Senses: examples: text: All participants must adhere to the rules.
text: You have to follow the rules to enter the qualifiers for the football tournament.
text: We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives.
ref: a. 1694, John Tillotson, Of The Obligations of Christians to a Holy Life:
text: The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them[…]is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.[…]current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate[…]“stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled.
ref: 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:
glosses: A regulation, law, guideline.
examples: text: There's little can be said in 't; 'Tis against the rule of nature.
ref: c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
glosses: A regulating principle.
examples: text: Obey them that have the rule over you.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 13:17:
text: His stern rule the groaning land obeyed.
ref: 1725, Homer, “Book III”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
glosses: The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control.
examples: text: My rule is to rise at six o'clock.
text: As a rule, our senior editors are serious-minded.
glosses: A normal condition or state of affairs.
examples: text: This uncivil rule; she shall know of it.
ref: c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
glosses: Conduct; behaviour.
topics: law
glosses: An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit.
examples: a rule for extracting the cube root
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result.
examples: text: As we may observe in the Works of Art, a Judicious Artist will indeed use his Eye, but he will trust only to his Rule.
ref: a. 1716, Robert South, Sermons:
text: It is not right to pervert the judge by moving him to anger or envy or pity—one might as well warp a carpenter's rule before using it.
ref: 1981, Aristotle, “Rhetoric, the Counterpart of Dialectic”, in W. Rhys Roberts, Ingram Bywater, transl., Rhetoric and On Poetics, Pennsylvania: The Franklin Library, →OL:
glosses: A ruler; device for measuring, a straightedge, a measure.
glosses: A straight line (continuous mark, as made by a pen or the like), especially one lying across a paper as a guide for writing.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A thin plate of brass or other metal, of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work.
Synonyms: word: rule
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 180-degree rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 20-80 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 3.5% rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 3-revert rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 4-to-1 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 50/30/20 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 50-30-20 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 6-2-1 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 621 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 68-95-99.7 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 7-7-7 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 80-20 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: 8x8 rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Abegg's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: adverse interest rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Allen's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Ampère's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: area rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: as a rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: as-if rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: at-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: away goals rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: baseball rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: batter rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Bayes' rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Bergmann's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: best evidence rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: blood rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: board rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Born rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Born's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: boukólos rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: bright-line rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Buckley rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Buckley's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: business rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: cab-rank rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: cardinal rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Carnot's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: chain rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Chatham House rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Chvorinov's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: composing rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Cope's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: cosine rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Cramer's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Cromwell's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: crumbling skull rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: cube rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: direct rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: divide and rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: doomsday rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Dühring's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Durham rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Eddie the Eagle rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: eggshell rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Emery's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: empirical rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: em rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: en rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: every rule has an exception
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: exception that proves the rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: exclusionary rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: felony murder rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: fifty-move rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: firefighter's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: fireman's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: five-second rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: flat tire rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Fleming's right-hand rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: formation rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Foster's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: frame rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: gag rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Geiger-Nuttall rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Gloger's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: golden rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Goldwater rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Gougu rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: grandmother rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: ground rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Haldane's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Hastert rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Hebb's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: home rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: home rule class
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Horner's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: house rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: inference rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: infield fly rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: island rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: jointing rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Jordan rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Jordan's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Kasha's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: last antecedent rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Las Vegas rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Lesbian rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: lesbian rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: l'Hôpital's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: L'Hôpital's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Lipinski's rule of five
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: literal rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: looks-like-a-function rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: mailbox rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: majority rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Markovnikov's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Markownikoff's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Meeussen's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: mercy rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Miranda rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: M'Naghten rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: mob rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: m-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Mull of Kintyre rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: nasciturus rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Newton-Cotes rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: ninety-ninety rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: n-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: octet rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Oddo-Harkins rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: off-side rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: offside rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: one-drop rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: personal rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Pfizer's rule of five
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: phase rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: pie rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: platinum rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: plumb rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: plurality rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: postal rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Pottery Barn rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: power rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: precedence rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: product rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: prophylactic rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: prudent man rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Rapoport's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Rent's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: reverse one-drop rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: right-hand rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Robert's Rules of Order
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Rome rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Rule 62
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule-based
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule-book
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule book
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule-bound
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule-follower
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule joint
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule nisi
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of 72
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of action
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of Colel
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of cool
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of coss
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of decision
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of engagement
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of five
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of four
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of law
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of lenity
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of man
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of order
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of reason
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of recognition
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of sevens
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of strict construction
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of succession
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of the road
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of the shorter term
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of thirds
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of three
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of thumb
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule-of-thumb
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of tincture
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule of two
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rules-based order
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: ruleset
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: rule utilitarianism
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: run the rule over
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Saytseff's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: selection rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: self-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: setting rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: silver rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Simpson's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: sine rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: slayer rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: slide rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: sliding-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: space rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: standing rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: ten-second rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: there is an exception to every rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: thin skull rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Thornton's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: three-revert rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: three-second rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: three seconds rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: touch-move rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: transformational rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: trapezium rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: trapezoidal rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: trapezoid rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Trouton's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: two-person rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: two-pizza rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: two-second rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: two second rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: under the rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: unspoken rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: unwritten rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Vegas rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Wallace rule of nines
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: white coat rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: work rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: work-to-rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: work to rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: Zaitsev's rule
sense: Terms derived from the noun rule
word: zero one infinity rule
Related terms: word: regulate
word: regent
word: regular
word: principle
word: test
word: criterion
word: rule of thumb
word: saying
word: restriction
word: limitation
word: limit
word: constraint
word: command
word: prohibition
word: instruction
word: procedure
word: routine
word: convention
word: norm
word: algorithm
word: word
word: phrase
word: sentence
word: characteristic
word: property
word: attribute
word: predicate
word: formula
word: rigid
word: flexible
word: legal
word: constitutional
word: strict
word: general
word: specific
word: basic
word: unwritten
word: unspoken
word: stupid
word: silly
word: clear
word: confusing
word: ambiguous
word: unambiguous
word: simple
word: complicated
word: familiar
word: strange
word: clear-cut
word: straightforward
word: adhere [⇒ thesaurus] to
word: administer
word: draft
word: follow
word: obey
word: comply with
word: violate
word: rule maker
word: regulator
word: lawgiver
word: lawmaker
word: legislator
word: policy maker
word: administrator
word: bureaucrat
word: violator
word: drafter
word: Madison
word: bureaucracy
word: government
word: administration
word: leeway
word: freedom
word: liberty
word: whim
word: caprice
word: subjectivity
word: unpredictability
word: exception
word: Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus/Class V § 613. Habit
word: Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus/Class I § 82. Conformity