rule (countable and uncountable, plural rules) All participants must adhere to the rules. You have to follow the rules to enter the qualifiers for the football tournament. We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives. A rule is a regulation or direction for doing some particular activity. If you have a no shoes rule at your house, it means everyone has to take them off at the door. A rule is a statement telling people what they should do in order to achieve success or a benefit of some kind. An important rule is to drink plenty of water during any flight. By and large, the rules for healthy eating are the same during pregnancy as at any other time. law, rule, regulation, precept, statute, ordinance, canon mean a principle governing action or procedure. law implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the obligation of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority. rule applies to more restricted or specific situations. Rule or ruling may refer to: Debate (parliamentary procedure) for rules governing discussion on the merits of a pending question. Definition of rule noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Need help finding a rule? The California Rules of Court were reorganized and renumbered to improve their format and usability, effective January 1, 2007. Use the conversion tables below to match old rules to reorganized rules. Define rule. rule synonyms, rule pronunciation, rule translation, English dictionary definition of rule. n. 1. a. Governing power or its possession or use; authority. b. The duration of such power. 2. a. An authoritative, prescribed direction for conduct. RULE definition: a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc. See examples of rule used in a sentence. RULE meaning: 1. an accepted principle or instruction that states the way things are or should be done, and tells…. Learn more.