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
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.
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
That’s a guideline, as always, not a rule.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
We include recommendations for the diagnosis and management of adenomyosis in our guideline for heavy menstrual bleeding.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
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
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
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.
