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

The bill would task the state’s attorney general with establishing the guidelines to determine unreasonably excessive prices for captive consumers, such as at airports, hospitals, sporting events, large festivals or in correctional facilities. —Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026

Current clinical guidelines do not specify the optimal amount of time they should be taken for. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI. —CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026

But the perception of the two drugs as distinct—one mild, one serious—was entrenched in medical practice, in pharmaceutical regulations, in prescription guidelines, and in law. —Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guideline

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

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