guideline
Americannoun
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any guide or indication of a future course of action.
guidelines on the government's future policy.
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a lightly marked line used as a guide, as in composing a drawing, a typed page, or a line of lettering.
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a rope or cord that serves to guide one's steps, especially over rocky terrain, through underground passages, etc.
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a rope or wire used in guiding the movement of stage scenery or curtains being raised or lowered.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of guideline
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.
Vocabulary lists containing guideline
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet adults need only around this amount of vitamin B12 each day, depending on the guideline used, to support red blood cells, nerves and DNA production.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 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
It is a widely used guideline, but only a guideline and not a guarantee of success.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
A proposed guideline also would set new limits on student access to the internet, prioritizing “curriculum-aligned tools” to avoid distractions from learning.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
I realized then why he had used our rope sparingly; why he had made my guideline down to east beach from vines instead of rope.
From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
