Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

ruling

[roo-ling]
See more synonyms for ruling on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an authoritative decision, as one by a judge on a debated point of law.
  2. the act of drawing straight lines with a ruler.
  3. ruled lines.
Show More
adjective
  1. governing or dominating: the ruling party.
  2. controlling; predominating: the ruling factor in recovery from an illness.
  3. widespread; prevalent: ruling prices; ruling values.
Show More

Origin of ruling

1175–1225; Middle English (gerund); see rule, -ing1, -ing2
Related formsnon·rul·ing, noun, adjective

rule

[rool]
noun
  1. a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc.: the rules of chess.
  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.
  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(def 2).
  8. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. 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. rules, Penology. (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.
Show More
verb (used with object), ruled, rul·ing.
  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.
  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.
Show More
verb (used without object), ruled, rul·ing.
  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.
Show More
Verb Phrases
  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.
Show More
Idioms
  1. as a rule, generally; usually: He arrives at eleven o'clock, as a rule.
  2. rule the roost. roost(def 7).
Show More

Origin of rule

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English riule, reule < Old French riule < Latin rēgula straight stick, pattern (see regula); (v.) Middle English riwlen, reulen, rewellen < Old French riuler, rieuler, ruler < Late Latin rēgulāre, derivative of rēgula
Related formsin·ter·rule, verb (used with object), in·ter·ruled, in·ter·rul·ing.self-rule, nounsub·rule, nounun·der·rule, nounun·der·rule, verb, un·der·ruled, un·der·rul·ing.un·ruled, adjectivewell-ruled, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
1. standard, law, ruling, guide, precept, order. 4. command, domination, mastery, sway, authority, direction. 14. order, judge.

Synonym study

1. See principle. 13. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

dominantedictdirectivedecisionruleverdictfindinglawresolutionorderupperoverridingcentralleadingreigningsovereigncontrollingcommandingcardinalcurrent

Examples from the Web for ruling

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • We commonly make it the last, if we ever make it at all; but it is the first and the ruling one.

  • His father was a Presbyterian of the Scotch type, and a ruling elder in the church.

  • But how could any political discretion on the part of the ruling classes have prevented this?

    Freeland

    Theodor Hertzka

  • Though some achieved wealth, yet this was rarely, if ever, the ruling motive.

    Self-Help

    Samuel Smiles

  • His real name was Li, and he belonged to the ruling Tang dynasty.

British Dictionary definitions for ruling

ruling

noun
  1. a decision of someone in authority, such as a judge
  2. one or more parallel ruled lines
Show More
adjective
  1. controlling or exercising authoritythe ruling classes
  2. prevalent or predominant
Show More

rule

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 activityjudges' rules; play according to the rules
  2. the exercise of governmental authority or controlthe rule of Caesar
  3. the period of time in which a monarch or government has powerhis rule lasted 100 days
  4. a customary form or procedure; regular course of actionhe made a morning swim his rule
  5. the rule the common order of things; normal conditionviolence 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; rulera carpenter's rule
    1. a printed or drawn character in the form of a long thin line
    2. another name for dash 1 (def. 13) 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. as a rule normally or ordinarily
Show More
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; decreethe chairman ruled against the proposal
  3. (tr) to mark with straight parallel lines or make one straight line, as with a rulerto rule a margin
  4. (tr) to restrain or controlto rule one's temper
  5. (intr) to be customary or prevalentchaos rules in this school
  6. (intr) to be pre-eminent or superiorfootball 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. rule the roost or rule the roast to be pre-eminent; be in charge
Show More
Derived Formsrulable, adjective

Word Origin

C13: from Old French riule, from Latin rēgula a straight edge; see regulate
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

Word Origin and History for ruling

n.

"determination by a judge or court on a point arising in the course of a trial or hearing," 1550s, verbal noun from rule (v.).

Show More

rule

n.

c.1200, "principle or maxim governing conduct, formula to which conduct must be conformed" from Old French riule, Norman reule "rule, custom, (religious) order" (in Modern French partially re-Latinized as règle), from Vulgar Latin *regula, from Latin regula "straight stick, bar, ruler;" figuratively "a pattern, a model," related to regere "to rule, straighten, guide" (see regal). Replaced Old English wealdan.

Meaning "regulation governing play of a game, etc." is from 1690s. Phrase rule of thumb first attested 1690s. Rule of law "supremacy of impartial and well-defined laws to any individual's power" is from 1883. Meaning "strip used for making straight lines or measuring" is recorded from mid-14c. Typography sense is attested from 1680s.

Show More

rule

v.

c.1200, "to control, guide, direct," from Old French riuler "impose rule," from Latin regulare (see regulate). Legal sense "establish by decision" is recorded from early 15c. Meaning "mark with lines" is from 1590s. Meaning "to dominate, prevail" is from 1874. "Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740. Related: Ruled; ruling.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ruling in Medicine

rule

(rōōl)
n.
  1. A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior.
  2. A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases; a standard.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with ruling

rule

In addition to the idioms beginning with rule

  • rule of thumb
  • rule out
  • rule the roost

also see:

  • as a rule
  • exception proves the rule
  • ground rules
Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.