Phrase guide

unspoken rule

noun · 1 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A rule that is understood to apply but does not exist in written form.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unwritten rule

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قاعدة غير مكتوب — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Armenian: չգրված օրենք (čʻgrvac ōrenkʻ) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 潛規則 /潜规则 (qiánguīzé) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Chinese Mandarin: 默認規則 /默认规则 (mòrèn guīzé) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Czech: nepsané pravidlo — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Dutch: ongeschreven regel — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Finnish: kirjoittamaton sääntö — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • French: règle non écrite — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • French: loi orale — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Georgian: დაუწერელი წესი (dauc̣ereli c̣esi) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Georgian: დაუწერელი კანონი (dauc̣ereli ḳanoni) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • German: ungeschriebene Regel — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • German: ungeschriebenes Gesetz — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Hungarian: íratlan szabály — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Japanese: 不文律 (fubunritsu) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Korean: 불문율 (bulmunnyul) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Korean: 불문법 (bulmunbeop) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Polish: prawo niepisane — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Romanian: lege nescrisă — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Russian: непи́саный зако́н (nepísanyj zakón) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Russian: негла́сное пра́вило (neglásnoje právilo) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Spanish: regla no escrita — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Ukrainian: непи́саний зако́н (nepýsanyj zakón) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Ukrainian: негла́сне пра́вило (nehlásne právylo) — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Vietnamese: luật bất thành văn — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form
  • Vietnamese: quy tắc bất thành văn — rule that is understood but does not exist in written form