GUIDELINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does guideline mean? 

• GUIDELINE (noun)
  The noun GUIDELINE has 3 senses:

1. a light line that is used in lettering to help align the letters

2. a detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action

3. a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior

  Familiarity information: GUIDELINE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GUIDELINE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A light line that is used in lettering to help align the letters

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("guideline" is a kind of...):

line (a mark that is long relative to its width)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

guideline; road map

Context example:

the president said he had a road map for normalizing relations with Vietnam

Hypernyms ("guideline" is a kind of...):

plan; program; programme (a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished)

counsel; counseling; counselling; direction; guidance (something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

guideline; guidepost; rule of thumb

Hypernyms ("guideline" is a kind of...):

regulation; rule (a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior)

 Context examples 

The biorepository has stringent guidelines regarding the standardized collection, handling, storage, and documentation of biological specimens.

(Biorepository, NCI Thesaurus)

Regularly drinking more than the recommended UK guidelines for alcohol could take years off your life, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

(Drinking more than five pints a week could shorten your life, University of Cambridge)

The report is not intended to be a practice guideline.

(Consensus Development Program, NCI Dictionary)

The new results offer no support for very low sodium levels recommended in the guidelines but they do support more moderate reductions from very high levels.

(Study Shows Average Consumption of Salt Good for Heart Health, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A majority of their clones are publicly available, free of any royalties, and may be used by anyone agreeing with their guidelines.

(Integrated Molecular Analysis of Genomes and their Expression Consortium, NCI Thesaurus)

The guidelines we have today are outdated and don’t reflect current evidence on healthy eating.

(Model shows pathway to feeding the world, SciDev.Net)

The researchers sought to determine how revisions in guidelines for blood pressure in non-pregnant adults might apply to pregnant women.

(Elevated blood pressure in first trimester increases risk for blood pressure disorder later in pregnancy, National Institutes of Health)

These guidelines include the Reference Daily Intakes (RDI), which are the recommended amounts of nutrients to be eaten each day to meet the needs of most healthy people.

(Dietary Reference Intakes, NCI Dictionary)

Current health guidelines suggest eating foods high in saturated fat increases the risk of high cholesterol and heart attacks.

(Scientists Say Eating Cheese Can Help Weight Loss, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Medicaid is run by state and local governments within federal guidelines.

(Medicaid, NCI Thesaurus)