guideline

American  

[gahyd-lahyn] / ˈgaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

guidelines plural

1. any guide or indication of a future course of action.

   guidelines on the government's future policy.

2. a lightly marked line used as a guide, as in composing a drawing, a typed page, or a line of lettering.

3. a rope or cord that serves to guide one's steps, especially over rocky terrain, through underground passages, etc.

4. a rope or wire used in guiding the movement of stage scenery or curtains being raised or lowered.

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guideline British  

/ ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a principle put forward to set standards or determine a course of action

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• guidelines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of guideline

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; guide + line ¹

Explanation

A guideline is a rule-of-thumb or suggestion that shows or tells you how to behave. If you want to stay healthy, you might want to follow the government's dietary guidelines. Sample guideline: go easy on the salt. In the 18th century, guideline referred to an actual line that you drew on fabric before cutting. So for example, if you wanted to cut a piece of linen to make a dress, you'd draw a guideline on it first to make sure the incision would be straight. The line guided your cut; over time, the word became a metaphor for a guide to any sort of action.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guideline guidelines

In addition to announcing that agency staff must now get Aronowitz’s sign-off before any major enforcement action, it set a new guideline for investigators.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

"This new guideline will help improve consistency of care, increase awareness of the condition, and support earlier diagnosis and management."

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Some doctors express concern about potential long-term effects on bone growth and brain development, while a guideline recommends medication only for children 12 and older.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

If the Brazil situation offers a guideline, it looks like there could be a middle-road, with some goods excluded from the levies.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

According to this guideline, like may be used only for resemblance to an exemplar, as in I’ll find someone like you and Poems are made by fools like me.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

“It’s going to be harder because we don’t have the guidelines or protections that the Voting Rights Act had given us, or that my mother’s blood gave us.”

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Early in the outbreak, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued specific safety guidelines for raspberries, urging people to cook them or eat them frozen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The new guidelines govern how studios should use generative AI and strongly favor “human performances.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The eventual aim of Moen's research is to develop clear clinical guidelines that might help shift workers and others with disrupted sleep patterns.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

That’s why guidelines on how to avoid legalese and other turbid professional styles call for using first- and second-person pronouns, inverting passives into actives, and letting verbs be verbs rather than zombie nouns.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• code
• ground rule
• guidance
• instruction
• protocol
• rule