Rules

British

/ ruːlz /

plural noun

short for Australian Rules
English history the neighbourhood around certain prisons (esp the Fleet and King's Bench prison) in which trusted prisoners were allowed to live under specified restrictions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention,” the 2020 book Hastings wrote with journalist Erin Meyer, describes how he initially opposed allowing users to download films and television programs to watch later.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

She made her Broadway debut in 1974, appearing in brief productions of “Love for Love” and “The Rules of the Game.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Rules for university admissions can vary by province; in one model used in Shanghai, a student can apply for up to 96 majors.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Appeared in the March 25, 2026, print edition as 'Jury Rules Meta Harmed Children'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Then I sat back and waited for Nan to quote one of our Relocation Rules or some artist.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023