ground rule

noun

1
: a sports rule adopted to modify play on a particular field, court, or course
2
: a rule of procedure
ground rules for selecting a superintendentAmer. School Board Jour.

Example Sentences

before the debate begins, let's lay out some ground rules
Recent Examples on the Web The only way to keep things civil is to establish some ground rules. Natalie B. Compton, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Mar. 2023 The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Biden administration. Ellen Nakashima, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Feb. 2023 An aghast Kiermaier and Rays manager Kevin Cash had no argument for Major League Baseball's rulebook, which hews strongly that a ball that deflects off a player and into foul ground is a ground rule double —and just two bases, regardless of whether that occurs 40 or 400 feet from home. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2021 Yet according to the board members who responded to us, Axon’s ethics board has met only once to discuss ground rules and has no special insight into the company’s research and development efforts. Dan Greene, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2018 This might include using parental content controls, establishing screen time limits, or setting ground rules for what kind of social media use is allowed. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 Mar. 2023 But first, here are some ground rules that vary depending on your age. Tom Margenau, Dallas News, 19 Mar. 2023 The treaty also establishes ground rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans. Christina Larson And Patrick Whittle, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2023 The treaty also establishes basic ground rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ground rule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ground rule was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near ground rule

Cite this Entry

“Ground rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20rule. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

ground rule

noun
: a rule set up for a specified activity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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