noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈɡaɪdˌlaɪn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:G AY1 D L AY2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He considered the Ten Commandments more as a guideline than a requirement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A plan or explanation to guide one in setting standards or determining a course of action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A light line, used in lettering, to help align the text.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To provide guidelines for.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: guidepost, rule of thumb
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rule, regulation
6
noun
Meaning 6
a detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the president said he had a road map for normalizing relations with Vietnam
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: road map
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: plan, program, programme, guidance, counsel, counseling, counselling, direction
7
noun
Meaning 7
a light line that is used in lettering to help align the letters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: line
History
Etymology
From guide + line.
Across languages
Translations
92 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
riglyn
— non-specific rule or principle
Arabic:
تَوْجِيهَات
(tawjīhāt)
— non-specific rule or principle
Belarusian:
дырэкты́ва
(dyrektýva)
— non-specific rule or principle
Belarusian:
паказа́нне
(pakazánnje)
— non-specific rule or principle
Belarusian:
паказа́ньне
(pakazánʹnje)
— non-specific rule or principle
Bulgarian:
директи́ва
(direktíva)
— non-specific rule or principle
Bulgarian:
указа́ние
(ukazánie)
— non-specific rule or principle
Catalan:
directriu
— non-specific rule or principle
Chinese Mandarin:
指導 /指导
(zhǐdǎo)
— non-specific rule or principle
Chinese Mandarin:
指示
(zhǐshì)
— non-specific rule or principle
Czech:
směrnice
— non-specific rule or principle
Danish:
retningslinje
— non-specific rule or principle
Dutch:
richtlijn
— non-specific rule or principle
Finnish:
ohjenuora
— non-specific rule or principle
Finnish:
ohje
— non-specific rule or principle
Finnish:
suositus
— non-specific rule or principle
Finnish:
suuntaviiva
— non-specific rule or principle
French:
directive
— non-specific rule or principle
French:
grande ligne
— non-specific rule or principle
French:
ligne directrice
— non-specific rule or principle
French:
principe directeur
— non-specific rule or principle
German:
Richtlinie
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
irányelv
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
iránymutatás
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
irányvonal
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
alapelv
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
alapszabály
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
útmutatás
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
vezérfonal
— non-specific rule or principle
Hungarian:
direktíva
— non-specific rule or principle
Indonesian:
panduan
— non-specific rule or principle
Indonesian:
garis panduan
— non-specific rule or principle
Italian:
linea guida
— non-specific rule or principle
Italian:
direttiva
— non-specific rule or principle
Japanese:
指針
(shishin)
— non-specific rule or principle
Japanese:
ガイドライン
(gaidorain)
— non-specific rule or principle
Korean:
지침
(jichim)
— non-specific rule or principle
Korean:
가이드라인
(gaideurain)
— non-specific rule or principle
Central Kurdish:
نەخشە
(nexşe)
— non-specific rule or principle
Macedonian:
директи́ва
(direktíva)
— non-specific rule or principle
Malayalam:
മാർഗരേഖ
(māṟgarēkha)
— non-specific rule or principle
Māori:
aratohu
— non-specific rule or principle
Norwegian Bokmål:
retningslinje
— non-specific rule or principle
Polish:
wytyczna
— non-specific rule or principle
Polish:
dyrektywa
— non-specific rule or principle
Polish:
wskazówka
— non-specific rule or principle
Portuguese:
diretriz
— non-specific rule or principle
Portuguese:
diretiva
— non-specific rule or principle
Russian:
директи́ва
(direktíva)
— non-specific rule or principle
Russian:
устано́вка
(ustanóvka)
— non-specific rule or principle
Russian:
указа́ние
(ukazánije)
— non-specific rule or principle
Scottish Gaelic:
stiùireadh
— non-specific rule or principle
Serbo-Croatian:
сме́рница
— non-specific rule or principle
Serbo-Croatian:
смје́рница
— non-specific rule or principle
Serbo-Croatian:
smérnica
— non-specific rule or principle
Serbo-Croatian:
smjérnica
— non-specific rule or principle
Slovak:
smernica
— non-specific rule or principle
Slovene:
smernica
— non-specific rule or principle
Spanish:
directriz
— non-specific rule or principle
Spanish:
pauta
— non-specific rule or principle
Swedish:
riktlinje
— non-specific rule or principle
Thai:
แนวทาง
(nɛɛo-taang)
— non-specific rule or principle
Thai:
แนวปฏิบัติ
— non-specific rule or principle
Thai:
ตัวชี้นํา
— non-specific rule or principle
Ukrainian:
директи́ва
(dyrektýva)
— non-specific rule or principle
Ukrainian:
указі́вка
(ukazívka)
— non-specific rule or principle
Vietnamese:
hướng dẫn
— non-specific rule or principle
Vietnamese:
khuyến cáo
— non-specific rule or principle
Vietnamese:
khuyến nghị
— non-specific rule or principle
Catalan:
pla
— plan or explanation
Finnish:
ohjenuora
— plan or explanation
Finnish:
ohje
— plan or explanation
Finnish:
suositus
— plan or explanation
Finnish:
suuntaviiva
— plan or explanation
Hungarian:
szempont
— plan or explanation
Indonesian:
panduan
— plan or explanation
Indonesian:
garis panduan
— plan or explanation
Indonesian:
pedoman
— plan or explanation
Central Kurdish:
نەخشە
(nexşe)
— plan or explanation
Macedonian:
у́патство
(úpatstvo)
— plan or explanation
Malayalam:
മാർഗരേഖ
(māṟgarēkha)
— plan or explanation
Scottish Gaelic:
stiùireadh
— plan or explanation
Spanish:
pauta
— plan or explanation
Swahili:
kielelezo
— plan or explanation
Afrikaans:
riglyn
— light line to help align text
Catalan:
quadrícula
— light line to help align text
Finnish:
apuviiva
— light line to help align text
Hungarian:
segédvonal
— light line to help align text
Hungarian:
sorvezető
— light line to help align text
Hungarian:
szamárvezető
— light line to help align text
Indonesian:
garis bantu
— light line to help align text