rule

American  

[rool] / rul /

noun

• rules
  plural

1. a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc..

   the rules of chess.

   Synonyms:

   order, dictate, decree, regulation, law, guideline, bylaw, standard, precept

2. the code of regulations observed by a religious order or congregation.

   the Franciscan rule.

3. the customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc..

   the rule rather than the exception.

4. control, government, or dominion.

   under the rule of a dictator.

   Synonyms:

   tyranny, oppression, mastery, domination, regulation, management, government, direction, sway, power, dominion, command, authority

5. tenure or conduct of reign or office.

   during the rule of George III.

6. a prescribed mathematical method for performing a calculation or solving a problem.

7. ruler.

8. Astronomy. Rule, the constellation Norma.

9. Printing. a thin, type-high strip of metal, for printing a solid or decorative line or lines.

10. Law.

    1. a formal order or direction made by a court, as for governing the procedure of the court general rule or for sending the case before a referee special rule.

    2. a legal principle.

    3. a court order in a particular case.

11. Penology. rules, (formerly)

    1. a fixed area in the neighborhood of certain prisons within which certain prisoners were allowed to live.

    2. the freedom of such an area.

12. Obsolete. behavior.

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verb (used with object)

• rules,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ruled,
  past participle,  past
• ruling
  present participle

1. to control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern.

   to rule the empire with severity.

2. to decide or declare judicially or authoritatively; decree.

   The judge ruled that he should be exiled.

   Synonyms:

   judge, dictate

3. to mark with lines, especially parallel straight lines, with the aid of a ruler or the like.

   to rule paper.

4. to mark out or form (a line) by this method.

   to rule lines on paper.

5. to be superior or preeminent in (a specific field or group); dominate by superiority; hold sway over.

   For centuries, England ruled the seas.

verb (used without object)

• rules,
  present (3rd person singular)
• ruled,
  past participle,  past
• ruling
  present participle

1. to exercise dominating power or influence; predominate.

2. to exercise authority, dominion, or sovereignty.

3. to make a formal decision or ruling, as on a point at law.

4. to be prevalent or current.

   Higher prices ruled throughout France.

verb phrase

1. rule out

   1. to prove to be unrelated or not for consideration; eliminate; exclude.

      to rule out the possibility of error.

   2. to make impossible or impracticable.

      The rainstorm ruled out the holiday camping.

idioms

1. as a rule, generally; usually.

   He arrives at eleven o'clock, as a rule.

2. rule the roost. roost.

rule British  

/ ruːl /

noun

1. an authoritative regulation or direction concerning method or procedure, as for a court of law, legislative body, game, or other human institution or activity

   judges' rules

   play according to the rules

2. the exercise of governmental authority or control

   the rule of Caesar

3. the period of time in which a monarch or government has power

   his rule lasted 100 days

4. a customary form or procedure; regular course of action

   he made a morning swim his rule

5. the common order of things; normal condition

   violence was the rule rather than the exception

6. a prescribed method or procedure for solving a mathematical problem, or one constituting part of a computer program, usually expressed in an appropriate formalism

7. a formal expression of a grammatical regularity in a linguistic description of a language

8. any of various devices with a straight edge for guiding or measuring; ruler

   a carpenter's rule

9. 1. a printed or drawn character in the form of a long thin line

   2. another name for dash 1

      en rule

      em rule

   3. a strip of brass or other metal used to print such a line

10. Christianity a systematic body of prescriptions defining the way of life to be followed by members of a religious order

11. law an order by a court or judge

12. normally or ordinarily

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verb

1. to exercise governing or controlling authority over (a people, political unit, individual, etc)

   he ruled for 20 years

   his passion for her ruled his life

2. (when tr, often takes a clause as object) to decide authoritatively; decree

   the chairman ruled against the proposal

3. (tr) to mark with straight parallel lines or make one straight line, as with a ruler

   to rule a margin

4. (tr) to restrain or control

   to rule one's temper

5. (intr) to be customary or prevalent

   chaos rules in this school

6. (intr) to be pre-eminent or superior

   football rules in the field of sport

7. (tr) astrology (of a planet) to have a strong affinity with certain human attributes, activities, etc, associated with (one or sometimes two signs of the zodiac)

   Mars rules Aries

8. to be pre-eminent; be in charge

rule More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rule

• as a rule
• exception proves the rule
• ground rules

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Synonym Usage

See principle. Rule, administer, command, govern, manage mean to exercise authoritative guidance or direction. Rule implies the exercise of authority as by a sovereign: to rule a kingdom. Administer places emphasis on the planned and orderly procedures used: to administer the finances of an institution. Command suggests military authority and the power to exact obedience; to be in command of: to command a ship. To govern is authoritatively to guide or direct persons or things, especially in the affairs of a large administrative unit: to govern a state. To manage is to conduct affairs, i.e., to guide them in a unified way toward a definite goal, or to direct or control people, often by tact, address, or artifice: to manage a business.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-rule
  noun
• subrule
  noun
• underrule
  noun
• underrule
  verb
• interrule
  verb (used with object)
• rulable
  adjective
• unruled
  adjective
• well-ruled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rules
  plural

Participles

• ruling
  present
• ruled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rule
  simple
• rules
  simple
• have ruled
  perfect
• has ruled
  perfect
• am ruling
  progressive
• are ruling
  progressive
• is ruling
  progressive
• have been ruling
  perfect progressive
• has been ruling
  perfect progressive

Past

• ruled
  simple
• had ruled
  perfect
• was ruling
  progressive
• were ruling
  progressive
• had been ruling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rule
  simple
• will have ruled
  perfect
• will be ruling
  progressive
• will have been ruling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of rule

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English riule, reule, from Old French riule, from Latin rēgula “straight stick, pattern” ( see regula); (verb) Middle English riwlen, reulen, rewellen, from Old French riuler, rieuler, ruler, from Late Latin rēgulāre, derivative of rēgula

Explanation

A rule is a regulation or direction for doing some particular activity. If you have a "no shoes" rule at your house, it means everyone has to take them off at the door. Other than laws or conditions about what can't and can't be done, rules can be tried-and-true tips like a grammar rule about subject-verb agreement or a spelling rule about making a singular noun plural. Rule can also pertain to power — how someone handles it or how long it lasts, like the peaceful rule of a king whose rule lasted 50 years.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rule rules ruled ruling

Fedorov denied having immediate political ambitions but didn't rule out a future run for president.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility of Rushing being activated as a designated hitter down the line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

This included The Hong Kong Diaries by the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, before the city returned to Chinese rule, and 300 Short Essays by late Apple Daily columnist Lee Yee.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Ms. Southon has worked equally hard to find surviving traces that offer us glimpses into what it was like to be living chattel under Roman rule.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

“There is a rule about candy, and the rule is this: There is no candy allowed in school! None! If anyone dares to object, they ought to come see me right now!”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Serpa attributes the strict rules to the “ghosts of our Puritanical past,” referencing centuries-old laws that dictated how to conduct public and private life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Even though partially funded by the Pentagon, Stars and Stripes has been editorially independent - through a congressional mandate and DoD rules.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The liturgical norms to be respected "are not constraints but guidelines, rules, fixed points," he said, calling sacred art "an absolutely important message of revelation".

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Because the new standards will take effect as contracts are established or modified, the rules don’t yet apply to existing facilities in California, though they were implemented at a new facility in Minnesota.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

I will obey all your rules if only you’ll give me another chance.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

He has since taken his argument to world football governing body Fifa, who ruled earlier this week that overruling the contract was not within its jurisdiction.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

A federal district judge, rejecting that contract provision, ruled last month that GEO Group must let health inspectors in, writing that “GEO’s new contract cannot preempt state law, even if it purports to.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Since then, courts in Nevada and Washington have ruled the opposite way, allowing state enforcement to proceed.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The administration says it is too late to unwind the project, even though two courts ruled against it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Eventually an American federal judge ruled the quarantine unconstitutional and ended the Guantanamo program.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

In the capital Kabul, we meet another senior Taliban figure who swapped a violent past for a role with the ruling administration.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

The restraining order follows a Colorado court ruling on July 31 that granted athletes who began their collegiate careers in the 2022-23 season a fifth year of eligibility for the upcoming season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Asked earlier this week if he sees the Supreme Court ruling against him, Trump said: “We hope that doesn’t happen. I can’t imagine it happening.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

It describes the ruling as a "disaster for Prince Harry".

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Supreme Court dismissed the case, however, ruling that Lyons lacked “standing” to seek an injunction against the deadly practice.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• decree
• guideline
• law
• order
• precedent
• regulation
• ruling
• statute
• test