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
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.
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
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
And for the guideline bodies: The precision-medicine framework applied to oncology and cardiology has not yet reached metabolic pharmacology.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026
Tapping it last is not such much a myth as it is a guideline.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 15, 2026
Food fads still come and go with alarming speed: A scientific study, a new government guideline, a lone crackpot with a medical degree can change our nation’s diet overnight.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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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.