guideline

American  

[gahyd-lahyn] / ˈgaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

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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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

The economists considered a family earning between five times and 15 times the poverty guideline to be in the upper middle class—thus their parameters of $133,000 to $400,000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

In November, we had the first version of the current guideline, against writing new articles with LLMs, which sadly didn’t apply to existing articles, where most of the abuse was.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

China also recently issued a guideline advancing child-friendly development more broadly, calling for improvements in schooling, medical care, travel, sports, and recreation.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

A key shift in the new guideline is the push for screening at younger ages and a broader look at personal risk.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

It’s an aspect of the art of writing which depends on intuition, experience, and guesswork, but there is also an overarching guideline.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

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