DIMENSIONS: EVALUATION / Perspective
Implies the exercise of authority or established procedure
R E F E R E N C E S
Rule n. 1. a princple or regulation governing conduct, procedure, etc. 2. the code of regulations observed by a religious order or congregation. 3. the customary or normal condition, occurrence, practice, etc. 4. control, government, or dominion. 5. tenure or conduct of reign or office. 6. a prescribed mathematical method for performing a calculation or solving a problem. 7. ruler [def. 2]. 8. Print. a thin, type-high strip of metal, for printing a solid or decorative line or lines. 9. Law, a formal order or direction made by a court, as for governng the procedure of the court. 10. Obs. behavior. 11. as a rule, generally, usually. -v.t. 12. to control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern. 13. to decide or declare judicialy or authoritatively; decree. 14. to mark with lines, esp. parallel straight lines, with the aid of a ruler or the like: to rule paper. 15. to mark out or form [a line] by theis method. 16. to be superior or preeminent in [a specific field or group]; dominate by superiority. -v.t. 17. to exercsie dominating power or influence; predominate. 18. to exercise authority, dominion, or sovereignty. 19. to make a formal decision or ruling, as on a point at law. 20. to be prevalent or current. 21. rule out. to refuse to acknowledge or admit; eliminate; exclude. [ME riule, reule < OF riule < L régul(a) straight stick, pattern]
-Syn. 1. standard, law, ruling, guide, precept, order. 4. command, domination, sway, authority, direction. 12. Rule, Administer, Command, Govern, Manage mean to exercise authoritative guidance or direction. Rule implies the exercise of authority as by a sovereign: to rule a kingdom. Administer places emphasis on the planned and orderly procedures used: to administer the finances of an institution. Command suggests military authority and the power to exact obedience; to be in command of: to command a ship. To Govern is authoritatively to guide or direct persons or thngs, esp. in the affairs of a large administrative unit: to govern a state. To Manage is to conduct affairs, i.e., to guide them in a unified way toward a definite goal, or to direct or control people, often by tact, address, or artifice: to manage a business. 13. deem, judge, settle, order.
Rule of Three Math. the method of finding the fourth term in a proportion when three terms are given.
Rule of thumb 1. a general or approximate principle, procedure, or rule based on experience rather than an scientific knowledge. 2. a rough, practical method of procedure.
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]
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