You broke the rule.
Source: tatoeba (16216)
Rule
/ɹuːl/
Synonyms for "rule" (713 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (143)
Noun(37 words)
formulaprincipleregulationaction ruleadagesadjudgingadjudicatingalgebra conceptalgorithmandropovapproximationbarcode labeling policybusiness policycalculation formulacanon law doctrinecity policycivil law doctrineclassroom directiveclassroom guidelineclassroom regulation
Show 17 more words
clear online community guidelinesconcerning policyconfidentialityconservation of angular momentumconsistency rulesconstraintscontrolcontrollingconventioncouncil basedcriminal-law conceptcurfew orderdata restrictiondata table patterndeath cause verdictdecidedecide case
a priori truthacmeactact onadding machineadministrationantetypeantitypeaphorismapothegmappointmentapriorismarchetypearistotelian soritesas a ruleascendancyassizeauthorityauthorizationaverage
Show 66 more words
axiombalancebanbarbarometerbe inbe in forcebe the ragebe the rulebe the thingbe-all and end-allbear reignbidbillbiotypeblue ribbonbrevetbridlebrocardbullbylawbypasscalculatorcall oncall the shotscall the signalscall uponcanoncarry authoritycategorical syllogismcenterchampionshipchargecharismacharmcheckchieflycivil governmentclassic exampleclawscloutclutchescodecommandcommandmentcommissioncommon practicecommonlycompassconcludecondemnconductconsequenceconsidercontrolconventioncrack the whipcreditcriterioncrowncustomcustomarilycustomsdecidedeclarationdeclare
Determiner(1 words)
a procedure
Adjective(12 words)
academic policyadministrative provisionanatomical conceptappropriate behaviorbritish controlcanonical lawcivil order guidelinecivil provisionclassroom rulecommon room rulescurrent normscurrent policy
Verb(6 words)
Preposition(1 words)
by law
Strong matches (214)
decorumdecreedecree-lawdecreementdecretaldecretumdeducedeemdegreedeterminedictatedictationdictumdiktatdilemmadirectdirectiondirectivedirectorshipdiscipline
Show 108 more words
dismissdispensationdisposedispositiondisregarddominancedominatedominationdomineerdominiondoomdrilledictedictumeffecteffectivenesseliminateeminenceemperyempireenactenactmentenchantmentenjoinenthymemeepitomeesteemetiquetteexcludefactfavorfiatfigurefindfind againstfind forfirst placefirst prizefixforbidforceformform of governmentformalityformulaformularyfuglemanfuglerfundamentalgathergaugegeneral ordersgeneral principlegeneralitygenerallygenotypegive an ordergive the wordgnomegoclenian soritesgolden meangolden rulegood feelinggoverngovernancegovernmentgraduated scalegripguidanceguideguidelineguiding principlehabithandhandshappy mediumhave clouthave powerhave the powerhave the righthave the sayheadhead upheadshiphegemonyheighthelmhighestholdignoreimitateeimperativeimperiumimportancein the mainincidental powerinferinfluenceinfluentialityinsinuationinstituteinstitutioninstructinstructionipse dixitiron handissue a commandissue a writ
Verb(14 words)
Adjective(15 words)
definite policydistrict policydutch regeringelectrical conceptethical guidelineethical standardformal guidelinefrench gouvernementfunctional relationgeneral termgeometric formulagoverning systemgrammatical requirementhorizontal lineitalian civile concepts
Noun(56 words)
design constraintdesign guidelinedeterminedictatorshipdictatorship regimedictumsdirectdirectivedirectivesdistributivedividerdominiondutch colonial governmenteligibility criterionemiratesemission regulationempressesenergy accounting ruleengineering principleestimate
Show 36 more words
estimation ruleface shield standardfederal regulationfindsfirm decisionformal state lawformulaefunctionfunction normallyfunction smoothlyfunctionsgeneral rulego straightgoverngovernance basedgovernance termgovernancesgoverned areagovernigoverning bodiesgoverning rulesgovernment agency policygovernment regulationgovernment rulegovernmentsgovernorshipgrammar ruleguidelineguidelineshearing procedureheuristicheuristic rulehousing committee policyimperial administrationinstitutional normsinstruction
Preposition(1 words)
in power
Related words (356)
Adjective(21 words)
italian normamathematical patternmathematical propertymorphological criterionnew regulationofficial guidelinesofficial protocolpolitical violence policypotable water guidelinepublic program guidelinesroman law principlesromanian guvernromanian ordonanțărussian politikascientific lawscientific physical lawscientific principlespanish fórmulastandard language policyswedish reglera
Show 1 more word
unspecified law
judgejurisdictionjusjuste milieujuste-milieukingshiplawlaw of naturelay offlay outleadleadershiplegislationleveragelexlinelordshipmagnetismmainlymanage
Show 210 more words
managementmandatemark offmark outmastermastershipmasterymatter of coursemaximmaximummeanmeasuremeasure offmeasure outmedianmediocritymediummiddlemiddle coursemiddle groundmiddle of the roadmiddle pointmiddle positionmiddle statemiddle-of-the-roadmidpointmirrormitzvahmodemodelmodus tollensmomentmoodmoralmostmostlymottone plus ultranegatenew highnormnormanormalnormallyobtainoccupationon the wholeordainorderorder aboutorder of natureordinanceordinarilyordonnanceoriginaloverlookoverripeoverruleoverseeoversightpace offpalmpalmsparparadigmparalogismparameterparamountcypass judgmentpass sentencepatternpersonalitypersuasionpolicypolitical organizationpolitypossess authoritypostulatepotencypowerpracticeprecedentpreceptprecludepredominancepredominatepreponderancepreponderateprescribeprescribed formprescriptprescriptionpresidepreside overpresidencypressureprestigeprevailprevalenceprimacyprincipiumprincipleprocedureproclaimproclamationprocrustean lawprohibitpromulgatepronouncepronounce judgmentpronounce onpronouncementpronunciamentopropositionproprietyproscribeprosyllogismprototypepseudosyllogismpurchasequantityrajreadingreadoutrecordregimeregimenregnancyregulateregulationreignreportrepresentativereputerescriptresolvereturn a verdictroutinerubricrule of deductionrule offrule outrule overrulerrulingrunsaysay the wordscaleself-evident truthsenatus consultsenatus consultumsentenceset formset offsettlesettled principlesopsoritessovereigntysquarestandardstandard operating procedurestanding orderstanding ordersstatutestep offstraightedgesuasionsubtle influencesuggestionsuperintendsupervisesupervisionsupremacyswaysyllogismsystem of governmentt squaretalonstenettesttheoremtop spottouchstonetriangletruismtruthtypetype speciestype specimenukaseuniversal lawuniversal truthupper handurtextusuallyutter a judgmentvaluevia mediawear the crownwear the pantsweightwhip handwield authoritywield the scepterworking principleworking ruleyardstickzenith
Noun(84 words)
judgejudgeskeep quietkhanatekingskuenlunlaw doctrinelaw of energy conservationlegal conceptlights-on policylinguistic rulelordmath conventionmath formulamath rulemaximsmeteorology conceptmethodmore governingmuseum policy
Show 64 more words
national governancenormnormaloccamofficial regulationold norse lagopen hours accessorder maintaining lawsorder number formatpassword protectedpatternpattern weeklyphysics concepts principleplanning principlepolicypolicy move rationalepolicy relatedpolicy term basedpostal service policypraetor's edictpreceptsprescriptprincipenprinciple of gravityprinciplesprocedureproceduresproduction functionprohibition policyprotocolprotocolspublic institution policyregimesregurreigningreignsreigns of terrorrender a decisionrestrictionrigarulerrulershipruling bodysafety regulationsceptersceptersschool normsschool policysection ordersecurity signs policyseparatorssheikdomssheikhdomssilence the phonesstandardstandardsstate dominatedtenetsthe policytime place rulestrade regulationtriggersverification standardwait quietly
Verb(13 words)
keep orderkick asslordedmaintain total controlpredominateprevailregulate behaviorreignreignedreinrestrictingrockslay
Determiner(8 words)
most federal guidelinesmost governingmost political policyno lightsno more excusesno rotation requirementthe governedthe principles
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: formula, principle, regulation, a priori truth, a procedure.
- Sentence evidence is available for rule, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "rule".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "rule"
Keep "rule" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "rule" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "rule", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "rule" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
55 entriesaccompanyascendanceascendancyascendenceascendencyattach tocalculation methodcome withcommandconceptconceptionconstructcontinuancecontroldecide
Showing 16 of 55 words.
More specific
11 entriesback of envelope ruleclassroom rulecourt rulingcurfewdress codegrading rubrichousehold ruleorder of operationspolicy directivequick estimaterule of three
Collocations
9 entriesclassroom ruledress codehouse ruleorder of operationsrule of lawrule of threerulebooksafety ruleschool rule
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
27 total sentences available.
I make it a rule not to watch television after nine o'clock.
Source: tatoeba (18400)
This rule doesn't apply to emergencies.
Source: tatoeba (18798)
The chairman did not rule out the possibility of a disagreement.
Source: tatoeba (20004)
Showing 4 of 27 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "rule"?
Closest matches include formula, principle, regulation, a priori truth, a procedure.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "rule"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.