rule
noun
uk
/ruːl/ us
/ruːl/rule noun (INSTRUCTION)
Before you start your own business you should be familiar with the government's rules and regulations.
You must not break the rules.
You can trust Ruth because she always plays (it) by/goes by/does things by the rules (= follows instructions, standards, or rules).
[ + to infinitive ] It's against the rules (of/in boxing) to hit below the belt.
[ + that ] It's a club rule that new members must sing a song.
- There are exceptions to every rule.
- There's an unwritten rule that you don't wear jeans to work.
- They made an ineffective attempt to get the rules changed.
- Prisoners complain that they are subjected to too many petty rules and restrictions.
- Grammatical rules prescribe how words may be used together.
rule noun (CONTROL)
- Various parts of Africa have suffered under colonial rule.
- UK The constituency fell to Labour at the last election, after ten years of Conservative rule.
- The president resigned after 30 years of autocratic rule.
- In the end she left home just to escape the tyrannical rule of her mother.
- The people revolted against foreign rule and established their own government.
rule
verb
uk
/ruːl/ us
/ruːl/rule verb (CONTROL)
- administration
- affairs of state
- ascend
- ascend the throne idiom
- bipartisanship
- governmental
- governmentally
- governorate
- hard Brexit idiom
- Holyrood
- oppressive
- oppressively
- oppressiveness
- overgovern
- popular sovereignty
- subjugate
- subjugation
- super-government
- the politburo
- tinpot
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
rule verb (DECIDE)
[ + that ] The government has ruled that the refugees must be deported.
[ + obj + noun/adj ] The courts have ruled his brave action illegal.
See also
overrule formal
- Her confession was ruled inadmissible as evidence because it was given under pressure from the police.
- The judge ruled that the directors had knowingly broken the law.
- The judge ruled her unfit to plead on the grounds of insanity.
- We won't be surprised if the judge rules in her favour.
- The player was ruled off-side and so the goal was disallowed.
- abolish
- abrogate
- abrogation
- amendment
- assemblyman
- constitutionally
- enact
- gold plate
- Green Paper
- guillotine
- hard Brexit idiom
- irrepealable
- penal reform
- PMQs
- pocket veto
- presiding officer
- Prime Minister's Questions
- promulgate
- White Paper
- writ
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
