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

A reasonable guideline is about a year to see the impact of a rate increase on inflation, according to Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

One major flaw in this budget is that the guideline for childcare, at 7% of income, is likely not high enough.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The diagnostic process for HSD is complicated by the fact the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence does not have a dedicated, standalone clinical guideline for diagnosis.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

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

He said that my guideline should be whatever I felt was wise—whatever was in the general good interests of our Nation of Islam.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

King Charles III waded into the AI debate on Thursday, gathering top tech executives in Scotland to urge them to hash out guidelines to keep the technology from spinning out of control.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Author and veteran television critic Alan Sepinwall hates spoilers, but he has some guidelines around what constitutes one.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Breast cancer surgery, she says, "has some of the tightest guidelines and protocols, and you should have the same treatment wherever you are, private or public, in any part of the UK."

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The legislation was limited because of complaints by mortgage servicers that many mortgage contracts and guidelines do not have allowances for state-declared emergencies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

“Let’s get these things on the table and come up with legal guidelines we can all live with,” he says.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

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