: a line by which one is guided: such as
a
: a cord or rope to aid a passer over a difficult point or to permit retracing a course
b
: an indication or outline of policy or conduct
new guidelines on nutrition
Examples of guideline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More information about donation guidelines can be found on Goodwill's website.
—
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Employers, for their part, should have clear guidelines about disclosure and reassignment when reporting lines overlap.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
This recall makes these vehicles noncompliant with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard guidelines.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025
Conventional wisdom seemed to make things worse, but scientists say new guidelines on introducing peanuts earlier in life appear to be helping.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guideline
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Employers, for their part, should have clear guidelines about disclosure and reassignment when reporting lines overlap.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
This recall makes these vehicles noncompliant with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard guidelines.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025
Conventional wisdom seemed to make things worse, but scientists say new guidelines on introducing peanuts earlier in life appear to be helping.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guideline
Cite this Entry
“Guideline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guideline. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
guideline
noun
guide·line
ˈgīd-ˌlīn 
1
: a line by which one is guided
2
: an outline of standards for future policy or action
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share