rule

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

I

n. law, regulation; government, authority; ruler. See rule, measurement.

II

Regulation for standard procedure

Nouns

1. rule, law, ordinance, regulation, canon, code, act, measure, statute; decision, ruling (see judgment); commandment, command; guide, gospel, formula, form, standard, model, precept, convention; maxim, aphorism, axiom; natural or normal state, normality, average (see mean); order of things; standing order, parliamentary law, Procrustean law, law of the Medes and the Persians, hard and fast rule; dead letter.

2. regularity, uniformity, constancy, consistency, conformity; punctuality, exactness; routine, custom, habit, system, method.

3. (traditional rules) rule of thumb, Murphy's law, benchmark.

Verbs — settle, fix, establish, determine, decide, adjudicate, judge (see judgment).

Adjectives

1. regular, uniform, symmetrical, constant, steady, systematic, methodical, according to rule; customary, conformable, natural, habitual, normal.

2. conventional, formalistic, rigid, legalistic, ceremonious. See conformity.

Adverbs — by the rule, by the book; as a rule; normally, usually.

Phrases — the exception proves the rule; there is an exception to every rule.

Quotations — If you like laws and sausage, you should never watch either being made (Otto von Bismarck), The people's good is the highest law (Cicero), Good people must not obey the laws too well (Emerson), The execution of the laws is more important than the making of them (Thomas Jefferson), Useless laws weaken the necessary laws (Montesquieu).

Antonyms, see disobedience.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Government]

Syn. control, dominion, jurisdiction; see government 1 .

2. [A regulation]

Syn. edict, dictate, precept; see command 1 , law 3 .

3. [The custom]

Syn. habit, course, practice; see custom 1 , 2 .

See Synonym Study at law .

• as a rule,

Syn. ordinarily, generally, habitually; see customarily , regularly 1 .

v.

1. [To govern]

Syn. conduct, control, dictate; see govern .

2. [To regulate]

Syn. order, decree, direct; see command 2 , manage 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. regulation law, statute, bylaw, ordinance, guideline, practice, policy, code, order, edict, tenet, principle, doctrine, precept, maxim.

2. custom habit, routine, practice.

3. reign control, authority, command, leadership, sovereignty, dominion, domination, government, power, administration.

II

v.

1. govern reign, control, assert authority, command, lead, hold power, administer, *lay down the law, *run the show, *hold the reins, *be in the driver s seat, *call the shots, supervise, dominate.

2. determine judge, adjudicate, settle, find, deem, hand down a decision.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. The act of exercising controlling power or the condition of being so controlled: command, control, dominance, domination, dominion, mastery, reign, sway. See OVER. 2. The continuous exercise of authority over a political unit: administration, control, direction, governance, government. See CONTROL, POLITICS. 3. A system by which a political unit is controlled: governance, government, regime. See POLITICS. 4. A principle governing affairs within or among political units: canon, decree, edict, institute, law, ordinance, precept, prescription, regulation. See LAW. 5. A code or set of codes governing action or procedure, for example: dictate, prescript, regulation, rubric. See ORDER. 6. A regular or customary matter, condition, or course of events: commonplace, norm, ordinary, usual. See USUAL. II verb 1. To exercise authority or influence over: control, direct, dominate, govern. Idioms: be at the helm, be in the driver's seat, hold sway over, hold the reins. See OVER. 2. To exercise the authority of a sovereign: govern, reign. Archaic: sway. Idiom: wear the crown (or purple). See OVER. 3. To command or issue commands in an arrogant manner: boss, dictate, dominate, domineer, order, tyrannize. See OVER. 4. To occupy the preeminent position in: dominate, predominate, preponderate, prevail, reign. Idioms: have the ascendancy, reign supreme. See OVER. 5. To make a decision about (a controversy or dispute, for example) after deliberation, as in a court of law: adjudge, adjudicate, arbitrate, decide, decree, determine, judge, referee, umpire. See DECIDE, LAW.