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

Despite the widespread detection of mycotoxins, the levels measured in the UK products remained below recommended EU guideline levels.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

One guideline is to save at least 15% of your pre-tax income for retirement if you want to maintain your quality of life after you stop working.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 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

"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

And Justin, taking the thread with him as a guideline, went back to search for the other six.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien

Enough so that creators and marketing leaders will talk about them on the record—even though undisclosed ads violate guidelines from TikTok, Instagram, Meta, YouTube and the FTC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Government guidelines for influencer marketing have existed since 2023.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Harabedian has said that most of the contracts and guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the government-sponsored organizations that hold or guarantee the majority of U.S. mortgages — do not bar loan deferrals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

There are a number of well-known spending guidelines.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Those guidelines had been implemented in 1966, in the aftermath of the Southam trial, and then expanded to include a detailed definition of informed consent in 1971.

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

Related Words

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