rule

American  

[rool] / rul /

noun

• rules
  plural

1. a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc..

   the rules of chess.

   Synonyms:

   order, dictate, decree, regulation, law, guideline, bylaw, standard, precept

2. the code of regulations observed by a religious order or congregation.

   the Franciscan rule.

3. the customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc..

   the rule rather than the exception.

4. control, government, or dominion.

   under the rule of a dictator.

   Synonyms:

   tyranny, oppression, mastery, domination, regulation, management, government, direction, sway, power, dominion, command, authority

5. tenure or conduct of reign or office.

   during the rule of George III.

6. a prescribed mathematical method for performing a calculation or solving a problem.

7. ruler.

8. Astronomy. Rule, the constellation Norma.

9. Printing. a thin, type-high strip of metal, for printing a solid or decorative line or lines.

10. Law.

    1. a formal order or direction made by a court, as for governing the procedure of the court general rule or for sending the case before a referee special rule.

    2. a legal principle.

    3. a court order in a particular case.

11. Penology. rules, (formerly)

    1. a fixed area in the neighborhood of certain prisons within which certain prisoners were allowed to live.

    2. the freedom of such an area.

12. Obsolete. behavior.

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verb (used with object)

• rules,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ruled,
  past participle,  past
• ruling
  present participle

1. to control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern.

   to rule the empire with severity.

2. to decide or declare judicially or authoritatively; decree.

   The judge ruled that he should be exiled.

   Synonyms:

   judge, dictate

3. to mark with lines, especially parallel straight lines, with the aid of a ruler or the like.

   to rule paper.

4. to mark out or form (a line) by this method.

   to rule lines on paper.

5. to be superior or preeminent in (a specific field or group); dominate by superiority; hold sway over.

   For centuries, England ruled the seas.

verb (used without object)

• rules,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ruled,
  past participle,  past
• ruling
  present participle

1. to exercise dominating power or influence; predominate.

2. to exercise authority, dominion, or sovereignty.

3. to make a formal decision or ruling, as on a point at law.

4. to be prevalent or current.

   Higher prices ruled throughout France.

verb phrase

1. rule out

   1. to prove to be unrelated or not for consideration; eliminate; exclude.

      to rule out the possibility of error.

   2. to make impossible or impracticable.

      The rainstorm ruled out the holiday camping.

idioms

1. as a rule, generally; usually.

   He arrives at eleven o'clock, as a rule.

2. rule the roost. roost.

rule British  

/ ruːl /

noun

1. an authoritative regulation or direction concerning method or procedure, as for a court of law, legislative body, game, or other human institution or activity

   judges' rules

   play according to the rules

2. the exercise of governmental authority or control

   the rule of Caesar

3. the period of time in which a monarch or government has power

   his rule lasted 100 days

4. a customary form or procedure; regular course of action

   he made a morning swim his rule

5. the common order of things; normal condition

   violence was the rule rather than the exception

6. a prescribed method or procedure for solving a mathematical problem, or one constituting part of a computer program, usually expressed in an appropriate formalism

7. a formal expression of a grammatical regularity in a linguistic description of a language

8. any of various devices with a straight edge for guiding or measuring; ruler

   a carpenter's rule

9. 1. a printed or drawn character in the form of a long thin line

   2. another name for dash 1

      en rule

      em rule

   3. a strip of brass or other metal used to print such a line

10. Christianity a systematic body of prescriptions defining the way of life to be followed by members of a religious order

11. law an order by a court or judge

12. normally or ordinarily

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verb

1. to exercise governing or controlling authority over (a people, political unit, individual, etc)

   he ruled for 20 years

   his passion for her ruled his life

2. (when tr, often takes a clause as object) to decide authoritatively; decree

   the chairman ruled against the proposal

3. (tr) to mark with straight parallel lines or make one straight line, as with a ruler

   to rule a margin

4. (tr) to restrain or control

   to rule one's temper

5. (intr) to be customary or prevalent

   chaos rules in this school

6. (intr) to be pre-eminent or superior

   football rules in the field of sport

7. (tr) astrology (of a planet) to have a strong affinity with certain human attributes, activities, etc, associated with (one or sometimes two signs of the zodiac)

   Mars rules Aries

8. to be pre-eminent; be in charge

rule More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rule

• as a rule
• exception proves the rule
• ground rules

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Synonym Usage

See principle. Rule, administer, command, govern, manage mean to exercise authoritative guidance or direction. Rule implies the exercise of authority as by a sovereign: to rule a kingdom. Administer places emphasis on the planned and orderly procedures used: to administer the finances of an institution. Command suggests military authority and the power to exact obedience; to be in command of: to command a ship. To govern is authoritatively to guide or direct persons or things, especially in the affairs of a large administrative unit: to govern a state. To manage is to conduct affairs, i.e., to guide them in a unified way toward a definite goal, or to direct or control people, often by tact, address, or artifice: to manage a business.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-rule
  noun
• subrule
  noun
• underrule
  noun
• underrule
  verb
• interrule
  verb (used with object)
• rulable
  adjective
• unruled
  adjective
• well-ruled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rules
  plural

Participles

• ruling
  present
• ruled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rule
  simple
• rules
  simple
• have ruled
  perfect
• has ruled
  perfect
• am ruling
  progressive
• are ruling
  progressive
• is ruling
  progressive
• have been ruling
  perfect progressive
• has been ruling
  perfect progressive

Past

• ruled
  simple
• had ruled
  perfect
• was ruling
  progressive
• were ruling
  progressive
• had been ruling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rule
  simple
• will have ruled
  perfect
• will be ruling
  progressive
• will have been ruling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of rule

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English riule, reule, from Old French riule, from Latin rēgula “straight stick, pattern” ( see regula); (verb) Middle English riwlen, reulen, rewellen, from Old French riuler, rieuler, ruler, from Late Latin rēgulāre, derivative of rēgula

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Explanation

A rule is a regulation or direction for doing some particular activity. If you have a "no shoes" rule at your house, it means everyone has to take them off at the door. Other than laws or conditions about what can't and can't be done, rules can be tried-and-true tips like a grammar rule about subject-verb agreement or a spelling rule about making a singular noun plural. Rule can also pertain to power — how someone handles it or how long it lasts, like the peaceful rule of a king whose rule lasted 50 years.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rule rules ruled ruling

Hungary was under one-party communist rule between 1949 and 1989 that repressed dissent.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

At Tuesday’s oral argument, the liberal justices were very concerned about the consequences of creating a special rule that allows religious groups to be broadly exempt from antidiscrimination laws.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

The question this proposed rule addresses is this: What constitutes discrimination?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

It saw it as replacing Spanish colonial rule with Moroccan and Mauritanian control.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

I thought of the long wind-haunted nights, the scowling guards, the rule of silence.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

When she helps clients put together their Roth-conversion plan, she gathers their most current tax-year information and tax rules, and projects those forward to compare against what rates might be in the future.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

Under new rules that took effect this summer, imports from outside the European Union and its free-trade partners—above a level set at 18.3 million metric tons—are subject to 50% duties, double a previous rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

While the new rules offer some hope, frustration is growing.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

It would change the state’s landmark environmental review process, the California Environmental Quality Act, by shortening deadlines and permitting rules for public and private development projects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

It’s an extra question—strictly against the question ramp rules, but Jonah doesn’t object.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

In a September Bloomberg News interview, Justice Alito ruled out a lame-duck retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

A state appellate court ruled that the rollout of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new pied-à-terre tax is legal and can move forward.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

With Garry Ringrose ruled out because of a hamstring problem, the experienced Robbie Henshaw will wear the 13 jersey, forming a midfield partnership with Stuart McCloskey.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

And the libertarian ACT party -- led by former "Dancing With The Stars" contestant David Seymour -- forms the third pillar of the right-wing alliance that has ruled New Zealand since 2023.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

The Supreme Court had ruled in 1965, in Swain v.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Fast on the heels of Tuesday’s mind-blowing American midterm elections, Israelis are forming a new government that seems hardly less astonishing—a ruling body for the Jewish state that includes Israeli Arabs.

From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026

Warner Bros has not yet commented on the latest ruling.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

She was one of the driving forces behind the grassroots group Save Piqua, which advocated for a ban on data centers with a capacity of more than 25 megawatts, effectively ruling out any large-scale project.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

The decision reverses a lower-court ruling that ordered the city to redo its implementation of the tax on second homes valued at $5 million or more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

No one knew who was ruling Elfland or the kingdom of the goblins.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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Related Words

• decree
• guideline
• law
• order
• precedent
• regulation
• ruling
• statute
• test

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