guideline

noun

guide·​line ˈgīd-ˌlīn 

: 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

Federal housing affordability guidelines use 30% of household income as a measure of whether housing costs are affordable. — Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Using the 28% portion of the 28/36 rule as a guideline, the following examples show the maximum monthly housing budget for different income levels. — Deane Biermeier, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Under Metropolitan Police Department guidelines, a critically missing person is someone believed to be in danger or facing life-threatening circumstances. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Evaluate its trust and transparency, ethical principles and guidelines, responsibility and accountability, bias and fairness, safety and security, adaptability and continuous learning and, at the least, legal and regulatory compliance. — Nadine Hack, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guideline

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline

Kids 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