rule — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A regulation, law, guideline.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   All participants must adhere to the rules.

   You have to follow the rules to enter the qualifiers for the football tournament.

   More examples (2)

   We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives.

   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.

2. A regulating principle.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   There's little can be said in 't; 'Tis against the rule of nature.

3. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Obey them that have the rule over you.

   His stern rule the groaning land obeyed.

4. A normal condition or state of affairs.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   My rule is to rise at six o'clock.

   As a rule, our senior editors are serious-minded.

5. Conduct; behaviour.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Obsolete
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   This uncivil rule; she shall know of it.

6. An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

7. A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   a rule for extracting the cube root

8. A ruler; device for measuring, a straightedge, a measure.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   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.

   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.

9. A straight line (continuous mark, as made by a pen or the like), especially one lying across a paper as a guide for writing.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

10. 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.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Dated
    • Uncountable

Verb

1. To regulate, be in charge of, make decisions for, reign over.

   Usage

   • stative
   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   r.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. Soft heartedness caused more harm than good.

2. To excel.

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • Slang
   • stative

   Antonyms

   stink

   Examples

   This game rules!

3. To decide judicially.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Synonyms

   hold

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   The US supreme court has ruled unanimously that natural human genes cannot be patented, a decision that scientists and civil rights campaigners said removed a major barrier to patient care and medical innovation.

4. To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   That's a ruled case with the school-men.

5. To mark (paper or the like) with rules (lines).

   Usage

   • Transitive

Noun

1. Revelry.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

Verb

1. To revel.

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • Obsolete

Noun

1. a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

   Synonyms

   regulation

   Broader terms

   conceptconceptionconstruct

   Examples

   it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast

   short haircuts were the regulation

2. something regarded as a normative example

   Synonyms

   conventionnormalpatternformula

   Broader terms

   practice

   Examples

   the convention of not naming the main character

   violence is the rule not the exception

   More examples (1)

   his formula for impressing visitors

3. prescribed guide for conduct or action

   Synonyms

   prescript

   Broader terms

   directioninstruction

4. (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice

   Synonyms

   linguistic rule

   Broader terms

   conceptconceptionconstruct

5. a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

   Synonyms

   principle

   Broader terms

   generalizationgeneralisationgenerality

   Examples

   their principles of composition characterized all their works

6. the duration of a monarch's or government's power

   Broader terms

   durationcontinuance

   Examples

   during the rule of Elizabeth

7. dominance or power through legal authority

   Synonyms

   dominion

   Broader terms

   dominanceascendanceascendenceascendancyascendencycontrol

   Examples

   France held undisputed dominion over vast areas of Africa

   the rule of Caesar

8. directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted

   Broader terms

   directioninstruction

   Examples

   he knew the rules of chess

9. any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order

   Broader terms

   directioninstruction

   Examples

   the rule of St. Dominic

10. a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system

    Synonyms

    principle

    Broader terms

    lawlaw of nature

    Examples

    the principle of the conservation of mass

    the principle of jet propulsion

    More examples (1)

    the right-hand rule for inductive fields

11. (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems

    Synonyms

    formula

    Broader terms

    procedureprocess

    Examples

    he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs

    he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials

12. 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

    Synonyms

    ruler

    Broader terms

    measuring stickmeasuremeasuring rod

Verb

1. exercise authority over; as of nations

   Synonyms

   govern

   Broader terms

   controlcommand

   Examples

   Who is governing the country now?

2. decide with authority

   Synonyms

   decree

   Broader terms

   decidemake up one's minddetermine

   Examples

   The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed

3. be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

   Synonyms

   predominatedominatereignprevail

   Broader terms

   interact

   Examples

   Money reigns supreme here

   Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood

4. decide on and make a declaration about

   Synonyms

   find

   Broader terms

   pronouncelabeljudge

   Examples

   find someone guilty

5. have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiac

   Broader terms

   attach toaccompanycome withgo with

6. mark or draw with a ruler

   Broader terms

   draw

   Examples

   rule the margins

7. keep in check

   Synonyms

   harnessrein

   Broader terms

   restrainkeepkeep backhold back

   Examples

   rule one's temper

8. be excellent or outstanding

   Synonyms

   rockkick assslay

   Broader terms

   excelstand outsurpass