What does “rule” mean?
- 1
nounan official instruction that says what is allowed or not allowed
The rules say no phones during the exam.
- 2
verbto control a country or group of people
The king ruled for forty years.
- 3
verbof a court or judge, to make an official decision
The court ruled that the law was unfair.
Rule at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /rul/ · ROOL
How to use “rule” correctly
“As a rule” means usually. “Rule out” means decide that something is not possible: “Police have ruled out murder.”
Common phrases with “rule”
- follow the rules
- break the rules
- as a rule
- rule out
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- regulation
- law
- govern
Word family
- ruler
- ruling
- unruly
Idioms with “rule”
- Rule of thumb: A simple, practical guide based on experience rather than exact calculation.
“rule” is on these word lists
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